We exist, we reincarnate
by Chiyon Shi
Summary: Because we exist, we live; because we live, we exist. This circle always ends with death, but like any circle, it starts again. They say an end is a start. These are seven stories of the reincarnated lives of Allen Walker and Kanda Yu. For Yullen Week.
1. the Greco–Persian Wars, 498–448 BC

**Disclaimer: **I don't own.

**Summary: **So, Kanda Yu wanted a slave. Big deal, right? It wasn't like he was going to get attached to one either. It was only and purely business... Right? But that one little Persian was just about to change his mind. Right. Athens, 498–448 BC. For Yullen Week.

**Pairings: **KandaAllen (well, duh, Yullen Week anyone?)

**Warnings: **Slavery and mentioned torture (nice start for YW, right?).

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**Around the Greco–Persian Wars, in the 498 BC–448 BC.**

Kanda Yu was walking down the plaza on the east side of his city, Athens. He lazily stared as other Athenians walked past him, some with haughty expressions, some with overcast looks… And some were looking hungrily at Kanda, trying to sell him something. The dark-haired man scoffed. Like he needed some baubles or badly baked bread… He was a rich noble and had no need for such things and they weren't even the thing he had bothered to come out to buy by his self, without any of his servants' company.

The Athenian, at the age of nineteen, had finally decided to get a personal slave… Or servant, but they meant the same thing in reality. True, he had many servants, but they belonged to the family and he wanted his own. It was actually his right as the third son of the Kanda family.

Kanda smirked. Being 'only' the third son didn't bother him in the least. The first son, and the heir, was always supposed to follow in their father's footsteps and to never go his own way. This was the case with the second son too… If the first son accidentally died without an heir, the responsibilities of the family moved to him. Their father's opinion was their opinion… But as only the third son, Kanda could do whatever he pleased. He was also the youngest child since all of his sisters were older than him… And already married to other people, nobles and high merchants.

And wasn't it a rule that the lady of the house, the mother, always favored the youngest the most? Hah, his foolish mother… He always got away from everything if he just asked his darling mother, since their father was under her strong grip. Hmph, love was for fools.

Soon he would leave this family… But none of his family knew about that yet, only one person knew and that was his educator in the ways of philosophy and arts as well as literature. That man was almost like a second father to him, since he and his mother had been the ones to raise him into the man he now was. That was actually why he wanted his own slave: that person would help him run away and serve under him as they would flee this stupid city. It was like a cage actually. Even as the youngest of the children, he had some pressures on him. Even now his father was probably trying to find him a good, obedient little wife so that Kanda family's influence would grow again. The dark-haired man growled and the nearest other Athenians flinched away from him. He saw a couple of his acquaintances looking at him, wondering if they should come and have a talk with him. Kanda ignored them as he continued on his way, towards the side of the plaza where he knew the slavers and their slaves were located.

He soon arrived and looked around the masses of people. Many nobles were there today… This day was the perfect day to find a good slave. The Athenian troops had come back victoriously from their battle with the Persians and many slavers had used this golden opportunity… Many Persians were now here, under their command as slaves. Every Athenian knew that they were likely to rebel at first, but with a strong hand they would surrender finally and submit to their destiny without freedom to choose.

The man was confident. He was pretty sure he could buy every slave he wanted here and he had a strong trick to get them accept his offer and be _very_ obedient and loyal… He could offer them freedom; freedom to not be forever stuck in this city of Athens, even if it was one of the most glorious cities in this world. The man knew how appealing this might sound to the slaves… Slaves, who had been free before getting caught… Those men and women, who had been forcefully taken from their home.

Ah, the freedom was so sweet word and a dream for them all.

The man looked around the slaves. He could hear the slavers yell some things about their slaves and how they were better than the others. He could hear people yelling their offers and the one, who had the highest amount, would win and get that particular slave. He could see the desperate looks of those fallen Persians and how they were yelling in their own language something, probably about to let them go and not to touch them. Kanda saw a few bodies on the ground too… He scowled as he recognized the wounds as the ones made by swords.

_Stupid rebelling slaves…_

A long time he looked around, but nothing caught his eye. If the desperate looks were not desperate enough or if their appearance didn't please him, Kanda didn't know… But he knew that he would have to find that one slave today, any other day wasn't good. The next big auction for slaves was in the next full moon, too many days from this moment. That full moon was also supposed to be the day his parents would keep a huge celebration for his twentieth year and there he was supposed to take himself a wife from those women his father had deemed fine enough. No, today he had to find that one slave that could fill his needs.

Again he looked around, but no one caught his eye again. His scowl deepened. Was he really that picky or were the Persians really that ugly and not fitted for being _his_ slave? Those men, and women, were absolutely _useless_.

He walked past the traders and towards the carriages, where some of the slaves were still chained, waiting for their turn. Perhaps he would find someone from there? He walked around and could hear those Persians cursing him. He glared, but those desperate curses didn't make him falter at all. If anything else, it only grew his determination. These slaves still had some spirit left… Those taken before the audience had lost some of theirs since they knew they had no hope anymore… But these people didn't know _that_ yet. Or even if they knew, they still believed they had a chance.

Suddenly, a flash of something pale captured his eye and Kanda turned towards it. He gasped softly as his eyes widened. Before him, chained to the carriage, was a man… No, a boy. Actually Kanda wasn't really sure if he was already a grown up or if he was someone younger than him since he was so dirty, hiding his traits pretty well under the taint… The male had very pale hair, complete contrast to Kanda's own. The slave's hair wasn't white… No, definitely not. Under the dirt it had to be pale blond, like in the stories Kanda had heard from some merchants, who had travelled to and from north, towards the untamed hills and forests and back… The pale hair of those savages.

Now that Kanda examined him, there was nothing else out of ordinary with the man… Only that strange hair color. Most of Athenians had dark hair, only a few had paler brown… But none had hair like that. The brown eyes of the slave looked at him without a fear, like he was waiting for his turn to get sold. Kanda narrowed his eyes. No one could look as calm in this situation… The man had Persian features, his nose's shape and his build… It all screamed Persian and all these Persians had been either peasants the slavers had caught from somewhere or warriors in the Persian troops.

Then how could he be so calm…?

Needless to say, finally someone had gained his attention. He moved towards the chained man, whose eyes followed his every move. _Amusing_, Kanda thought as his eyes were still examining the other man. He stopped in front of the slave, just out of his reach, so he possibly couldn't get hurt by an unsuspected kick or anything close to it.

They stared at each other for a long time, one down and one up. Some slavers had come to take some more slaves up to get them sold, but they had for some reason left the blond alone… Perhaps he was the one they expected to get the highest offer and wanted him to go last? Kanda could understand that… Many Athenians loved something extraordinary, _seasonal_. The man's pale hair was definitely the right for this season, since the coldest time of the year was near… His hair was reflecting the cold quite perfectly.

Soon there were no other slaves around them… Many had left with screams towards both the slavers and perhaps other Persians… He suspected that the message of those screams had not been very nice, since he had seen how the slave in front of him would wince when they reached his ears, though that could have also been because of the volume. It was absolutely terrifying how hard those slaves could yell.

"Are you going to watch me until the sun goes down, you who are clothed in high-classed cloths? Am I that interesting?" Kanda blinked. Had the man just spoken his own language with perfect accent? He looked at the slave, who had a small smile on his face.

Strange indeed…

"Yes, I can speak Greek quite well. Could you answer my question, my lord, or do you deem it unworthy of your attention?" Kanda scowled as the man only smiled. The slave was mocking him behind those resigned words.

"How can you speak my language so well, Persian?" He asked in turn harshly, but his tone didn't make that smile disappear.

"Why I shouldn't know the language of my neighbors? I was but a humble man under the reign of Persian king, even if I now may only be a lowly slave since he was defeated in the great battle." Kanda stared at him. Something was off from that explanation. Maybe it was the tone of the slave's voice as it seemed to have more than a little spite in it.

"No one else from your peers knows it since all they do is yelling in your language."

"Ah, but does that really mean that they don't know any Greek?" Kanda blinked at the answer. The slave looked past him as another man was taken towards the auction. "It could be that they are just too terrified and scared right now to think rationally or they are trying to find a connection to our country by our language… The language of ours is, after all, the most natural for us." The man before him sighed as the other slave disappeared from his range of seeing.

"What's your name?" The pale-haired slave turned to look at Kanda.

"My name?" he asked and laughed. Kanda thought he was hearing a bitter tone in the voice. "Why would you want to know my name, dear lord? A slave I am, nothing even close to your equal… My name does not mean anything for you."

"That is my job to decide if it is like that, slave. Just answer to my question." The pale-haired man rolled his eyes.

"This is why I always hated nobles and people with high status…" he muttered before raising his voice again. "Allen I am called. No clan name or anything, just Allen."

"Allen…" Kanda tasted the name. "Not a very Persian name you have there."

"Not a very Persian hair color I have here." The slave shrugged. "But one has to be glad to have what they do."

"Hmm… Wise words from a low-born like you."

"What do you know about my lineage?" Allen said back, snorting. "I could be a prince of Persia for all you know or some other noble, who has better lineage than you do."

"Are you then?" Kanda asked back, getting a glance from the man before him.

"Am I what?"

"Are you any of those things you just now stated?" Allen blinked before barking a laugh. Kanda looked at him with annoyed eyes.

"You are asking me if I am a noble or a prince." The man finally gasped for air. "Please, I just hope you didn't ask that with a serious intent. Me, a prince of Persia? Don't joke around like that…" the chains made noise as the slave moved a bit around, trying to find a better position since he had fallen a bit in his laughter.

"Hmph…" Kanda's annoyance didn't disappear. He hated that a mere servant was treating him like this… Though, he had to admit, it was refreshing. No one dared to talk to him like this, not even his older siblings since he was their mother's favorite and could get them into trouble very easily… And his father, well… He was never around him, only his two older brothers.

"Why am I being questioned?" the other man asked then, a bit bothered that Kanda had been staring at him for a while with a faraway look. The said man snapped back to the reality and stared, once again, Allen's pale hair.

"Why do you have that color?" he blurted out, before blinking. It wasn't like him to blurt things out… Well, it wasn't like anyone else was hearing it but this slave… Allen arched an eyebrow at this.

"What is this, 'ask a slave'- day? I don't know whether I should feel honored or fortunate."

"Feel neither. You like to fight verbally back, huh?" Kanda stated, amused smirk playing on his face. The pale-haired man snorted.

"Like I can do anything else right now. Chains are such a luxury I've been given, you know?"

"So, your hair?"

"Ask me nicely, my lord, and I might consider your wish." Allen mocked the dark man, who only shrugged. Fixing his expression, he stared into Allen's chocolate eyes.

"Please?" he asked with his most bored tone, eyes devoid of all emotions. His whole body language was indicating that Kanda didn't mean that… At all. This caused the slave to laugh again.

"Nice." He congratulated the noble. "Good comeback, but you could use a few more words on your speech. Maybe 'please, my oh-so-lovely slave' would've made a better one, but I guess you are still a beginner. Nevertheless, it's fun to see that even amongst the nobles some people can take a joke."

"Hn."

"To answer your question… What, you don't need to look surprised! After all, I have nothing to lose here, even if I tell you. I am not going back to Persia anyway." He snorted. "Like I would want that, even if it was possible." Allen suddenly winced as some other Persians suddenly yelled something at him in their language. The boy answered, hurt evident in his voice, but the tone was still clear and gravid. He motioned towards the trade that was being kept on their right side. Kanda glanced at those other men, who had yelled, but their looks were ones of wonder and… Was that fear? It was like Allen had just told them some fact of life they had not known before.

"Anyway… I'm not fully Persian, just a half. My mother was a slave from the 'savage lands' as you call them. There. Big secret, right?" Kanda turned back to him.

"What about your father?" Allen shrugged.

"A warlord under Persian king." Kanda blinked again.

"Which one?"

"What does it matter?" Allen asked, a bit bitterly. "He's dead, as is my mother. Both gone because of this war. Ah, how I hate wars… Just because of it many are forced to join the army and fight on the fields for a country they might not want to." Kanda picked the underlying message easily as Allen gave a dirty look at the ground.

"You are one of those people?"

"Yes." The pale-haired man stated coldly. He turned his gaze at Kanda. "But what do you care about my misfortune? My father was a warlord; of course he would make his sons, legitimate or not, fight in the war. I suspect that you have never been on the battlefield?"

"I haven't, but some of my relatives are commanders on our side."

"Nobles' right, huh…"

"By blood." The man agreed. They stood in the silence… Or rather, Kanda stood; Allen was chained to the wall, sitting on the ground. A woman a bit further away started to cry and they could hear her pleas… But only the Persian could understand them. Another man started to shout at the woman, making her cry even more. The male slave was about to hit her, as he was beside her and could reach her well. Kanda had never liked men who beat women… He thought they were disgusting. He was about to go over to the slaves, but not before he heard Allen yell something… The only thing, that Kanda understood, was 'Boric', apparently the man's name as he reacted to it. Allen and Boric seemed to have some sort of yelling competition in Persian, one was mad and one… Absolutely furious. Boric just yelled and yelled even more. Allen glared, giving his former smiling face a terrifying change.

The woman just kept crying.

Soon, a few slavers heard their cries and came closer to look. They immediately went to Kanda, since they understood none of what the two slaves were yelling at.

"My lord," the taller of the two greeted Kanda, who glanced at them shortly in indifference. "May we bother you by asking what took place in here?" The shorter of the two bowed.

"You may." The noble stated and looked at Allen, whose face was twisted in anger. The two slavers noticed his look and were immediately beside the pale-haired man.

"Did he cause this trouble?" the taller one asked, hard gaze on the slave. Kanda shook his head. "Is he the source?"

"No." Kanda denied quickly. "That man, who is yelling at him, is. He was about to hit the woman beside him, but A-, this slave, probably yelled at him to stop. I don't know Persian, so I can't really say."

"Ah, I remember that slave…" The taller slaver nodded. "He caused trouble in our journey too. Don't worry; he'll face a punishment for his behavior." The man motioned at the shorter one, who went by the Persian man. The taller one went with him and together they dragged the man away as another man came to take the woman away… Probably it was her turn to get sold. Allen watched in sadness as the woman went by and she looked quickly at him too. She said something and Allen nodded. The dark-haired female just sighed in tiredness, but somehow in relief too, and continued walking forward as she was dragged towards the auction.

"What did just happen?" Kanda asked as soon as there was no one near again. Allen glanced murderously to the place where that 'Boric' had disappeared into before turning back to the noble.

"Skin Boric was that poor woman's husband. The man was a leader of some sort in the army and, for some reason, decided to take his wife with him. Moa was her name… Kind woman, but she was never fit for a violent man as Boric. He started to yell at her, as you saw, and was about to start beating her again, but I cannot watch him beat her… This was probably the fifth time I've stopped him within a week." They heard a scream that came from Boric's direction. Allen grimaced.

"I don't even want to know what they did to him to get him to yell like that…" he sighed. "Back to Moa… The only thing I can wish for her now is that she will be bought into a good family, that doesn't beat their slaves. It's somehow ironic, but this might be the best for her… This was her only way to get away from Boric without killing herself."

"What did she say to you just now?" Allen sighed again.

"'Am I finally freed from him?' was what she asked. I guess she's happy to have finally gotten away from him…" Kanda nodded.

"May I ask you something again?" the slave shrugged.

"Go ahead. I have nothing better to do."

"What was your status in the army and their ranks?"

"I was a commander under my father's legitimate son, his heir. I believe that his body was burnt in the last battle. Some of these people here were under my command, like the ones who shouted to me earlier, before Boric. They demanded me to give them back their freedom and criticized my leading skills. If I had been the one to decide, we wouldn't have even been in the last battle… I would've changed our tactics and definitely not attacked." Kanda looked impressed.

"So you can think for your own, huh…"

"I thought it was obvious."

"Hn…"

"If you could, don't tell anyone that little secret of mine. I'm sure your fellow Athenians would be more than ready to kill me in the most painful way they could make up if they knew that I was some kind of leader, even if small one, in the army."

"Why not kept this as a secret from me too? I could've been one of those people."

"No, not you… You are too sophisticated for that, more curious than hateful towards me."

"Some attentive little bastard you are, aren't you?

"Attentive? Perhaps. Little? In some scales. Bastard? Definitely, but just because I couldn't decide who my parents were." Kanda snorted at this.

"Smartass."

"I take that as a compliment." Allen smiled, and somehow, his smile made Kanda's lips twist upwards too. It was a miracle. There was something in this slave that he could describe. Perhaps Kanda was fascinated by the fact that there was a boy in the same wavelength as he was, even if their status was this different… A 'free' nobleman and a bastard son of a warlord, always a slave, one way or another. This reminded him…

"Would you like to be free?" Kanda suddenly asked. Allen arched his eyebrow at this.

"Well, sure, why not? Not that I know, what that _is_ like, but according to what I've seen, it's pretty nice to be able to do what you want."

"Then what do you want?" Allen looked thoughtful for a minute.

"Well… I'm not really sure. I've been a slave for my whole life, but I guess… Travel around? Get away from Persia, that's for sure… Probably live somewhere, where the wars do not reach…" he shrugged. "I don't know. This is the first time someone has asked me that question."

"If you were to get 'free' for a degree, would you be loyal to your 'master'?" Allen looked at him a weird look on his face.

"Where are these questions coming from? What are you getting at?" Kanda made up his mind. This man, he wanted him to be his slave. He filled all the qualifications he had for what he wanted… Well, perhaps not the 'desperate for freedom' part, but that could be dealt with. Plus, he had that something that _had_ caught his attention… He was pretty sure it wasn't just the hair alone. It was the resemblance of the two.

"Would you grab the chance at getting free?" The pale-haired man hesitated for a moment, before nodding.

"Why not? Being free beats being a slave every day."

"Good then… How would you like to become my slave?" There, the question was asked. Kanda watched as Allen's eyes went wide for a moment, before he hid his surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"Simple… Would you like to serve me?" Allen studied him for a moment, probably trying to see if he was lying or not.

"And a man, whose name I still don't know, asks me that… Without knowing much about me?" Kanda shrugged.

"Is it any better than buying another slave from the auction? At least I know some things about you more than those slaves." Allen nodded, still looking at him weirdly. "And my name is Kanda, Yu Kanda."

"Kanda, huh?" the man seemed to think for something. "I think I have heard of your family… Perhaps. I'm not sure. Why do you even need a slave?"

"To get away from a marriage." Allen stared at him for a while before bursting into laughter.

"Marriage?!" he laughed. "You want a slave for… Getting away from marriage?!" Kanda gave him a look.

"That reason is as good as any." He stated. "You would be helping me escape Athens and we could both get away from what we hate: you from your life as a slave and I from being an 'obedient' third son."

"Ahaha…" Allen wiped the tears from his eyes. "Marriage… Are you into men then, if you do not want to marry a woman?"

"Do I have to be interested in men if I want to avoid getting married to a woman I would never love?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Allen shrugged.

"There's nothing to be ashamed about that. Or perhaps there is, but I know men who are interested in other men… I've heard some screams when I was in the army at nights."

"Right…" Kanda said disbelief visible in his voice.

"Hey, I'm serious!"

"I know… And I have nothing against men with men. I know for a fact that my second brother is more than platonically interested in one of our _male_ slaves. I just can't say that I'm not shocked that you said that with straight expression." Allen gave him a look. "I mean, you're…" Kanda tried to find correct words, but couldn't. Allen sighed.

"Look, Kanda or whatever your name was, I may be a slave, but I am nineteen years old. Do you think I don't know about sexual preferences or sex at this age?" The dark-haired man blinked.

"Nineteen?" he sounded surprised. "I would've thought you were… Perhaps seventeen or less… Not as old as I am." The Persian man snorted.

"Well, thanks a lot. I know I look young, but less than seventeen? Here I thought Athenians were more observant…"

"No reason to taunt me." Kanda stated a bit annoyed tone in his voice. Allen nodded and got more serious look on his face.

"But I cannot understand why you need a slave to escape from such a thing as marriage… It would be easy for you to just run away with minimum of things and… Ah, do you perhaps need a draught animal for all your fancy clothes?! Aaaw, please, don't buy me for that job! I absolutely do not want to drag clothes back and forth places…!" The Athenian gave him a cold glare. Allen raised his both hands up so quickly that the chains clanged against each other.

"Kidding!"

"I am going to ignore that comment…" Kanda muttered to himself. "It would be easier to travel when there are two. People tend to remember better when there are only one traveler… A huge group is remembered, but none of the individuals usually are. I hate crowds, though, so it would be easiest to delude people by travelling in pair."

"Hmmm… Is that so?" The dark-haired man nodded. "Then why me and not anyone else? I think many would've been overjoyed by the chance of freedom." Kanda shrugged.

"You interest me and it seems to me that you are the only person to actually talk back to me. It's… Refreshing, I could say. I don't want a companion, who just follows me blindly… I want someone, who actually has their own mind."

"You are flattering me…" Allen smiled. "There's only one little detail that stops me from accepting your offer, as good as it sounds to me." Kanda stared at the pale-haired man in disbelief. Had he just… Declined? Had the slave actually decided not to accept his offer for freedom?

"What do you mean?" The smile turned into a sad one.

"I'm sorry to say but… I've already been sold."

* * *

A week later, Kanda was sitting in his garden, watching as the sun went down again. He was repeating the conversation he had had with the Persian slave, had been for the whole seven days. It was strange how that day had changed him… Well, not really changed, but his views on things had become slightly different. He had no idea what had changed, but… Something had. And he was stuck…

He had no slave of his own… And his birthday was only about ten days from that moment. Ten days… Kanda cursed whoever had bought Allen before him. The Persian had been a mystery of a kind; calm in that situation, talking to him like he was his equal, but still knowing that he wasn't the same as Kanda. That conversation… It had been a bit addicting, one could say.

Addiction… That would call the situation quite well.

Kanda sighed. He was never going to see the slave again. He probably couldn't escape his family without any kind of servant… And now was too late to buy one. He looked at the setting sun. He quietly wondered what the Persian was doing right then…

"Ah, young master Kanda!" a servant called him. He watched as the old man bowed and told him that he had a visitor… Apparently, his old mentor had come to meet him. He sighed and told the servant that he would wait for the old man in his room and left the garden. He idly wondered what his mentor wanted… Probably to encourage him to stand tall and not let this whole marriage-thing put him down. He snorted. Like that would help him at all.

Arriving in his room, Kanda waited for the man to come. A few moments later, he did come… With a stranger with him. The stranger had a cloak on him and the cloak's hood was hiding his face. It was odd, though… As soon as the stranger had seen Kanda, he had sighed in surprise. Who was the man, if the figure even was a man?

"Ah, Yu! How nice to see you! Have you been well?" the old man greeted his former pupil. The dark-haired man gave the man a quick glare.

"How many times have I asked you not to call me by my first name, Sphodrias Lavelius Mestrius?" Kanda asked in turn, purposely using his old mentor's full name. The man pouted, but with as long gray beard as he had, it was rather… antic.

"And now many times have I told you to call me 'Lavi'!" the gray-haired man scolded him playfully, while winking to a slave girl that quickly moved away from him and continued on her way. Kanda was pretty sure that the man was already more than eighty years old, so he couldn't understand why Lavi continued to flirt with every passing pretty girl he saw in every other turn.

"What do you want?" the noble asked rudely, clearly displeased with his mentor. The man shrugged and smiled again.

"Are you still up to your little plan?" Yes, Lavi was the man, who knew about Kanda's escaping plan. The younger male's intention had not been to tell him, but his mentor, despite his age, had always been a very bright man and had somehow figured it out. He had even helped him with the plans, since apparently he didn't want his 'adopted son' to be unhappy, even if they might never meet again because of it. The old man wasn't in the best of health, so he couldn't leave Athens, no matter how hard he tried. His condition didn't allow it. Or his legs. Yeah, those chicken thighs.

"I guess not…" Kanda sighed, sitting down on a chair, hand moving through his long and dark locks. Lavi sat opposite him, but the stranger was still on his feet. Lavi looked straight at him, motioning for him to continue. The noble complied. "It's hard, you know? To leave with no one, I mean… To be all alone. You know I'm not a crybaby or whiner, but that is the case. If I couldn't have anyone to rely, I don't think I could get away from this family. Not with the money they hold. I would need a second though with the decisions since I know that I'm not always the best with making them." Kanda admitted, sighing again. He had learned that by himself via bad experience.

"You would need someone to discuss with, huh? A friend, someone in the same wavelength as you?" The younger one nodded. "So that was why you wanted a slave?"

"Yes… You know Eliade, the old slave?" Lavi nodded. The woman, even though she wasn't very educated because of her status, was surprisingly bright and knew a lot of things. "I would want someone like her. Someone, who won't always listen what I say and have their own opinion on things. I know it's a bit much to wish from a slave, but that was why I went to the market a week ago. I thought that since they were Persians, they would be more than happy to help me if they could get even a bit of their freedom back."

"Did you find someone?" the dark-haired man hesitated only for a moment before answering shortly:

"Yes."

"Then where is he? I thought that you told me that you bought none?"

"I didn't."

"Then…?"

"He had been already sold." Kanda sighed. "I liked him; he had his own mind and was pretty enjoyable conversationalist. He didn't seem like the type to obey blindly, which I was glad… And he… Wasn't that unpleasant to look at either." He admitted quietly. Only Lavi heard it though, since he had leant in. The stranger was still beside the door, so he could have not heard a word.

"Interesting…" Lavi mused as he leant back. "To you think of so 'highly' of a 'lowly slave'… Truly interesting."

"Well, that's enough of me. Why are you here again?" The old man blinked before grinning.

"I have a present for you!" Kanda's head jerked down. Another stupid present? Last time Lavi had given him a frigging present, it had been some salve to not get 'bald'. The old man had cried about how he didn't want Kanda to get bald since he had 'so beautiful dark locks'.

"Nononono, don't look like that! It's not a stupid one, I promise!" the man waved his arms, which made Kanda to look up again, this time curiously.

"What is it then?" the grin was back again.

"Aha, so you really like my presents?! I knew…!"

"Lavi…"

"Hmph, sourpuss… Anyway, I got you a slave since you didn't get one!" This time Kanda really looked curious. What did the man mean?

"I got him for myself since he was interesting. I had wanted to get something _seasonal_, you know, so when I saw him, I just… Bought him. But since you need one more than I, I decided to give him to you. And he has his own mind. He bosses me around, trying to tell me that it's bad to eat very greasy food at this age."

"…So you just wanted to get away from him?"

"No! He's a great slave actually, but I still think he answers to your needs more. Marriage problems, be gone!" He turned to look at the stranger. "Now, come here! I want to show you to your new owner!" the hooded man walked next to the gray-haired man and stood still. Lavi chuckled at Kanda's confuse as the slave slowly raised his hands and dropped his hood, making Lavi's old student's eyes widen in shock and Lavi smirk in smugness.

_Success_.

"Can I introduce you to your new slave, Kanda? You maybe call him…"

"Allen." The Persian slave, who had not left Kanda's mind even for a moment, introduced himself again, this time more formally.

"You may call me Allen, master Kanda."

* * *

Hello, I'm not dead and I'm participating in Yullen Week :D

Two short things about all these YW one shots: some of them are a little bit dark, and the subjects are what they are, so I hope I won't offend anyone with them (mainly the second fic, nothing else really). Second, these fics are linked via reincarnation... Yes, they'll reincarnate. I just love the fics when they do! And, well... Nothing else really.

Wags will be updated right after the Yullen Week stories of mine have been finished (so, after YW).

I hope you enjoyed,

Chiyon Shi.


	2. Great Fire of Rome, 64 AD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own.

**Summary:** "Everyone needs a hero sometimes", were the words that finally cursed Kanda's world into damnation... And the Fire. He will never forget the Fire... Great Fire of Rome, around 18th-20th of July 64 AD. For the Yullen Week.

**Pairings:** KandaAllen.

**Warnings: **I'm sorry to say, but... Character death.

**

* * *

Great Fire of Rome, around 18th-20th of July 64 AD.**

It was hell, thought Kanda as he ran through the burning city. It was not logical. This wasn't supposed to happen… The great city of Rome, their empire's centre, was burning! And there was absolutely no warning of enemies, heck; they were not in a war right now… At least with enemies, who could've burnt their beautiful city. Sure, some fires were common, but the whole city was burning. And no one was there trying to put out the flames! Some people were dying here and where were the Emperor Nero's soldiers? Shouldn't they help the commoners with the fire? It was destroying absolutely everything!

The dark-haired man could hear screams from people trapped in the burning houses. The wood floors and walls were collapsing and crushing people inside. Many families were trying to save what they could from their property… Especially the nobles. They were so materialistic that they could not understand the common people. Most of them were using their slaves and soldiers to carry things when they could've tried to put out the fire raging in the city. It was preposterous!

He did see some commoners too, trying to save their families from the fire. Some were successful, some… Not so successful. Kanda would wince every time he heard Romans scream for their loved ones. This fire… They could never forget it. It had taken already so much from them all, even if it had not been raging for more than perhaps two days! But even that was much… Already two districts had been completely destroyed.

Finally, Kanda arrived at his house… Or its ruins. There was nothing left. The man's heart skipped painfully as he stepped into the coals of the ruins and just stared. He had left his home city for a while, to visit an old friend, and when he returned, he found people running away from the city, screaming about a great fire… And now his everything is gone… Just downright everything.

He couldn't see his family anywhere. He couldn't see if their bodies were burnt and laid in the ashes or if they had somehow escaped. Either way, it was near impossible for him to find them again if they had left Rome. It was the same if they had actually really died. He had nothing. No money, no clothes expect the ones on him right then and absolutely no other properties.

His former life was completely gone in a night of fire.

The ashes on his house were already quite cold, Kanda noted as he touched the gray dirt… It was like his house had been one of the first ones to be burnt. But it wasn't possible, right? He knew how careful his mother was with cooking and his father never used fire if it wasn't absolutely needed. His only sister, only nine winters old, never touched anything related to fire… It was actually Kanda himself, who used the fire the most, but since he had been out of city, it couldn't have been him either.

Was it an arson then, which had gotten out of hands? But no one hated the Kanda family, at least to his knowledge. His mother was a lovable woman and his father very loyal and hardworking… And his little sister was just darling as people liked to say. Kanda himself wasn't very social, but he was honest. No one hated their neighbors to his knowledge either. They were all good people, like that woman running towards him… Miranda was her name if Kanda recalled right…

Wait, why was she running towards him?

"Young Kanda!" she called him, panic evident in her eyes. She almost fell when she stumbled over a stone, but continue. Soon she was next to him, panting like she had run either for a while or very fast. Kanda suspected the latter, since she lived only a couple of houses away.

"What…?" the man asked, still emotionally strained over his lost life. The older woman glanced at him and he was surprised at the amount of tears that came from her eyes. She was very upset from something; that was sure.

"My child… He's in that fire! He's trapped in our burning house!" She cried out and Kanda's eyes widened in shock. Miranda's child too? "He's trapped and he's still alive! Young Kanda, please… Help him!" she fell down and cried. She was helpless; she could not do anything for her precious child… Nothing at all. Kanda stared at his neighbor only for a second before running towards the place she had been coming.

He had only a few times talked with Miranda's child; he could probably count the times with his left hand. When he had first seen the kid, Kanda had been helping his mother by going to Miranda's… He couldn't recall why he had gone there for, since he could only remember the long-haired girl, standing beside the older woman and baking bread… Humming some kind of song with a pretty voice and occasionally laughing when her mother made a mistake and freaked over it. Oh yes, that day been quite embarrassing for Kanda.

After that, he had thought that Allen was a girl.

The boy had long, light brown hair and brown eyes. He was a very sweet boy, eight years younger than Kanda, who was twenty-five at the moment, so that made Allen… Seventeen. He reached up to Kanda's shoulder, so he wasn't very tall. Cute boy he was… And Kanda's first crush.

Yes, Kanda Yu's first crush had been a boy, who he had talked with five times in this whole life… But talking didn't mean seeing, not at all. Kanda wasn't very proud of the fact, but he had spied on the boy and, gradually, he had fallen in love. Not many people appreciated man loving another man, but it wasn't unheard of. Some liked to think that it was scandalous, some didn't. It was bizarre sometimes.

Kanda finally reached Miranda's house and stared. The whole building was on fire. It was a wonder it had not been burnt earlier as Kanda's house had, but perhaps the winds had been favorable for it before… As well as that the house located on the other side of the street. The dark-haired man shivered as he heard a cry from inside. He could hear it… He could hear Allen's screams.

Without a moment of doubt, Kanda jumped and crushed in the burning building. He could feel the fire attack his hair, but at the moment he didn't care. He just ran towards the voice full of pain and hurt, towards his first love. A burning piece of wood fell down from the second floor, but Kanda evaded it like a cat, as gracefully and agilely as one.

A burning kitchen, a burning room, another burning room… No Allen. Only fire and a sense of death.

He heard another cry, this time much closer. The fire was starting to reach his head by his hair… So Kanda did the first he could make up and took a strong grip on his dagger he always kept with him and cut the rest of his hair. He could almost see how the last long locks burnt behind him as he continued his way. Another cry came from his left, from the room Kanda was just about to past. Quickly dropping his dagger, he crashed through the door… To find the younger boy resting on the floor, fire playing around him, torturing him.

Allen's eyes were closed as he screamed yet again. His clothes were all almost burnt and his hair… His hair was now even shorter than Kanda's. They were almost all burnt away, only very short locks were left. For a moment, Kanda could only stare. It was just horrible to see his crush like that, curled in a bundle and crying out his pain. Soon he snapped out of his daze and hurried next to Allen.

The boy looked up slightly as he heard Kanda's steps. His brown eyes, red because of his tears, stared into Kanda's own dark ones.

"Kan… da?" he rasped out and the man almost winced. Even his voice was… Was… It was just like he himself was: tired, wounded and… Beaten. "You… Here?"

"To save you." The man just said as he picked Allen to his arms. The younger male gasped for air as Kanda touched his burnt skin. "Sorry."

"How… Know I'm…?" the boy panted out. It was definitely taking lots of effort to make out sounds as clear as those, Kanda noted. He looked around before leaving the room. He got lucky… A few moments later the ceiling fell down in that room.

"Your mother ran to tell me," he said through pursed lips. He saw that he couldn't take Allen through the front door where he had come in… Apparently the roof had fallen on their way.

"Does your house have a backdoor?" he asked, glancing to the way they could go. Allen cracked his eyes open and weakly nodded towards the same path.

"There… Back…"

"Good." Kanda just said before taking off again. He could feel the boy weakening in his arms; the fire was burning them both. The man heard a sickening crack above them and quickened his pace. If only they could get to the backdoor before the ceiling completely fell on them he would be very happy…

It was like a _battle_ against time.

"Just… Leave… Here…" the boy rasped out, his hands shaking as he held Kanda from his shirt. "I… Here…" The older man's eyes widened slightly as he realized what Allen was trying to say.

"No," he quickly denied, tightening his grip slightly around Allen, who in turn gasped from pain. The man apologized again and loosened his hold.

"…Why?"

"You shouldn't talk, just rest. I get us out of here."

"Why?" the boy asked again slightly tilting his head. Kanda couldn't help but think that even in that state, he was adorable.

"Everyone needs a hero sometimes." Allen nodded and rested his forehead against Kanda's strong chest. He almost smiled even through his pain as he was carried and the unconsciousness took him to a dreamland without any ache.

_Thank you, Kanda…_

The older man felt as Allen slumped in his arms and panicked. What had happened to the boy? He didn't have time to check on Allen though… He could hear the last of the supporting balks give in and crashing around. He focused on getting out… Out of the collapsing house. His eyes looked forward, his eyes resting on their only hope, the backdoor.

Three steps.

Two steps.

One step.

Kanda leaped out as the house finally collapsed completely, the burning impact sending him and Allen flying forward. He could feel himself hit the ground rather painfully as he hugged the lithe body closer to himself and they rolled for a few times, stopping finally completely. For a few moments he just laid there, waiting for his breath to catch up. Then he suddenly felt Allen stir a bit and sighed in relief. He had recalled how the boy had slumped against him and could only sigh since the boy was still alive…

As strange as it might sound, Kanda also noticed that neither he nor Allen were on fire anymore. _It must've been because of the rolling…_ he noted to himself. He remembered how his father had always told his little sister that if she ever caught on bigger fire, then she should roll a bit and try to get the flames smothered by that if there was no water near.

"Young Kanda!" Allen's mother, Miranda, called them. The said man lifted his head as he saw the woman kneel beside them both, face wet with tears. "You're… You're alive… You're alive! My child… My child!" she took Allen from Kanda's arms and hugged her unconscious son close and cried.

"Thank you… Thank you!" she thanked many times, kissing Allen's slightly burnt cheek and turning to Kanda again. "Thank you so much… How can I ever, _ever_, repay you, young Kanda? My child… He's alive because of you! Young Kanda…" she smiled in true happiness even if the tears never stopped coming.

"Allen's alive."

* * *

Later Kanda got to know from Miranda that his family had left the city a day earlier when the fire started, everyone were safe, but she had no idea where they were. When Kanda asked her about why Allen was in the fire, she could only answer that they had already left their house, but apparently Allen later realized that he had forgotten something… Something that had been precious to both her and him. He had tried to retrieve it, even if their house was burning, but was caught… And that was when Miranda had gone to find help.

Kanda had decided to stay with the two since he had no other place to go. They all left to the furthest districts, the parts of Rome where the fire had yet to reach. They didn't have much… Only a few clothes and some food Miranda and Allen had taken before leaving. Together, they tried to survive in the streets and managed pretty well… It was a fact that some did even worse.

A few days after, maybe a week or so, the fire was finally extinguished. Some were wondering if their emperor had started the fire since some claimed to have heard him singing while watching the city burn… But some claimed that it wasn't possible, that Emperor Nero had been away from the city and someone else had started the fire.

No one knew… But they all kept guessing.

It was this one particular day when their emperor finally let them know who the culprits were... And he announced that the Christians were the ones to blame. Kanda couldn't believe what he had heard. It was not possible… No way, no, no, no…

The Romans roared in anger now that they had someone to blame. The known Christians were taken to the emperor and Nero ordered some of them to be thrown to dogs, while others were crucified or burned to serve as lights. Kanda felt sick. His family…

His family and he were Christians. He couldn't help but feel scared for them… Scared if they had been taken to Nero and punished for a crime they _could not have done_. This was madness, this was…! This was…!

Allen laid his hand on Kanda's shoulder, urging him to calm down. Allen and Miranda knew of Kanda's religion, but they knew not to blame him… They were sure that neither he nor any other of his fellows was the culprit. They didn't share the same religion, but they felt that it wasn't needed… After all, no bad person would save Allen from a burning house.

They lived like this for the next month or two… Building them a new house, sleeping next to each other… And just living. Kanda especially enjoyed the time when Allen was asleep. He loved to watch the younger one's sleeping face, how he breathed peacefully and just slept without any worries… One day, similar to any other day, Kanda fell asleep like this... Watching his love to sleep before falling into the dreamland himself, promising to himself yet again that he would tell Allen about his feelings someday.

That someday would never come.

* * *

Near midnight, Kanda was woken up by the soft sound of crying. Sleepily, he rubbed his eyes and looked next to him, where the brown-haired boy was supposed to sleep…

And he saw nothing.

Turning his head slightly, he saw Miranda by the door of their incomplete house, desperately clutching her arms around herself. Her face was twisted in a sickening way of grief and Kanda's heart clenched. What had happened…?

And where was Allen?

"Miranda?" he called the woman as he stood up and walked next to her. The woman apparently didn't hear him as she watched outside like she was waiting for someone to come back, someone, who had just left. Kanda frowned and shook the woman's shoulder lightly. Miranda almost jumped up and turned around faster than he could even blink: he saw the hope in her eyes, which slowly died as she recognized him.

"Kanda…" she whispered and the tears were back again, with more than enough power to cause a flood. Miranda threw herself into Kanda's chest, wetting his shirt in a moment. Hesitantly, the man wrapped his arms around her and stroking her hair softly.

"It's my fault… I couldn't stop them… Entirely my fault… My fault!"

"Miranda?" the woman mumbled something he couldn't hear, so he shook her lightly again. "I didn't hear you."

"…They took him…" she hiccupped, burying her face deeper into Kanda's chest. The man narrowed his eyes.

"Who took who?" The woman didn't answer for a moment. "Miranda?"

"The emperor's soldiers…" she finally said and her voice made Kanda flinch. It was full of bitterness and hate, the emotions he couldn't have ever imagined to hear from her. "They took him…"

"Him?" Miranda looked up and Kanda saw how her teary eyes were burning.

"They took my Allen." She said it so desperately that it slashed through Kanda like a whip. The Romans… Had taken Allen?

"Why?" he gasped out and the woman smiled sadly, not crying anymore, which Kanda thought was weird. It was like she didn't have the strength anymore. She hiccupped before looking out of the door again.

"To be taken to the nearest square…"

"Why?" Kanda repeated his question. Miranda didn't turn to him anymore.

"To be burnt as a person guilty for the great fire."

"What?!" The man yelled in shock. "They took Allen for _what_?! Didn't Nero already claim that the Christians were the culprits?!"

"He did…" she whispered, clutching at her stomach like she was in pain.

"Then why?!"

"…To protect you." Kanda stopped breathing for a second. To… what?

"What do you mean…?"

"What do I mean? My child was taken to be killed. Killed!" she leaned on the wall next to the door. "What else could I mean?"

"But… Protecting?" The woman smiled bitterly.

"He lied. The Romans had gotten a hint about a Christian living here… And Allen lied. To protect you… To let you live… And I couldn't stop them from taking him." Kanda fell silent as he could only stare at his love's mother.

"He… To protect me?" he finally uttered out and the woman nodded. Kanda noticed the lack of strength behind it.

"…To protect you…"

"What… he…"

"Allen's last words for me were: 'please, tell Kanda that everyone needs a hero sometimes'… Whatever he meant by that." The words hit Kanda and he fell on the floor. Those words… He had said them to Allen when he had saved him from the fire. It was like… It was like Allen had been trying to say to him that the debt had been paid back.

"He…" the woman was now struggling to say coherent words. "He had always… Liked you, Kanda. Even more after you saved him… He couldn't live with you getting killed for a crime you did not commit… Even if he had to be killed himself." She took a breath that ended with a weird noise. "Kanda… He loved you." She smiled softly as she remembered the small smile Allen had given to her when he had confessed his feelings.

"He loved you more than anything… You… You were his light. You saved him and showed him kindness better than anyone else… And he was willing to give himself up to you." She closed her eyes.

"He loved you…" that was all Kanda could hear from her as he stood up and started to run towards the nearest square. If he had stayed a few seconds more, he would've seen how the woman took a sword out of her stomach, splashing more blood on the floor. If Kanda had been more attentive, he would've seen how his shirt had turned bloody from all the blood on Miranda…

If he had stayed for a short moment, he would've seen the light dying in the woman's eyes and heard her final words before the darkness took her completely…

"Allen… I'm coming for you." Both of them, the dying mother and desperate man, breathed out as the same time, both wishing nothing more than to be near the sweet boy, who had taken their hearts.

When Kanda finally reached the square, he saw three torches burning in the middle of the plaza and people gathered around them, yelling insults and cheering… It was disgusting. The man stared at the square, seeking for his lost love before setting his eyes on one thing: to a burning torch on the right side, which was burning the brightest and most brilliantly from the three…

And that was the moment when Kanda Yu's heart broke.

That was the moment when the _battle_… was lost.

* * *

This is the one shot I'm probably expecting flames D: I can't say anything else than that I had to do it. I love Allen (he's my favorite character) and I feel bad for both him and Kanda _very much_. But it's a story, it's their life when they continued to live in their reincarnated lives. Not all of their lives could be full of happiness, now can they? I'm being realistic. It's like everyone's expecting them to have the exactly same looks as they have in the manga... Or gender. It's reincarnation... They won't be the same: they have same soul, but they can change when their lives' situations are different.

I love Miranda too... I think she's such a darling woman...

But I promise! This is _the only_ fic, where either of them, Kanda or Allen, dies. Other people around them may, but not the two. I promise. And on the contrary, the fourth one shot is definitely humor, since this is tragedy.

And by the way, I was so happy to receive so many reviews, alerts and favs! It made me so glad, but also worried that you won't like this one at all... Or the next ones. I hope you'll prove me wrong.

Chiyon Shi.


	3. Viking Age, around 850 AD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own.

**Summary: **Vikings... That was a curse word to Allen; a word that he hated more than anything. They took everything from him... And now, he's in a cargo hold on their ship. But who really is that boy he's trapped here with? For the Yullen Week.

**Pairings:** KandaAllen.

**Warnings:** Hmm... Does a kiss count?

**Note:** Translations are at the bottom (aka. I used also another language in this fic than English... Swedish. Only three sentences)!

**

* * *

**

**Viking Age, around 850 AD**

Allen felt like he was dying from the inside. His home… His home had been attacked by those weird men with beards and long hair… Those men, whose axes and swords were tainted with blood and their ships, which were large and scary-looking. They were like dragons, those big fire-breathing mythical creatures! And they brought doom like the ones they were made to resemble…

Yes… Allen's village, his home, had been burnt by those Vikings.

The boy took a shaky breath in the cargo hold. His normally dark brown hair was looking gray now because of the ashes of his house… His father had tried to defend their village, but without avail. After he had left, Allen hadn't seen him once. Even his mother had died while protecting him and his little brother, Daisya. Some Vikings had taken him to their ship while taking Allen to another one, so Allen had no idea how his brother was… If he was dead or alive, he didn't know.

He just wished that his brother was safe.

It was dark in the hold… There were no windows there, Allen noted as he looked around. Some light got through some smallest of slits, but otherwise it was completely black. He could hear some other children cry; even some older women were there… But no men. He idly wondered if they had been killed in the attack…

Hand gliding through his dark brown locks, his almost black eyes closed. The ship was smoothly moving from left to right, sometimes skipping more radically, making Allen almost sick. Refusing to let tears fall down, he stood up and walked to the other side of the ship, far away from the crying children as if their crying was making his will crumble. He wasn't that old either, seventeen years old, but he didn't feel like he was as weak as those others.

So what if his life had been destroyed? So what if he didn't know how his only living relative was doing? He wouldn't care; he would be strong to… To forget everything. If Daisya died too, then so what? He would get to a better place than where Allen was going; he would go to where their parents were now…

_So what…_ Allen smiled bitterly. He knew that he couldn't do that… He couldn't pretend that he didn't care. It was ridiculous to even try, but what else could he do? It was almost sure that he wouldn't see Daisya ever again. His little brother was almost as good as dead to him now. Allen sighed and almost tripped on someone in the dark. He turned to apologize, but forgot what he was supposed to do when he was swiped to a corner.

"Till hörn, slav, om du vill få mat!" Allen heard that weird and… frightening language and winced. It was one of those killers… He quickly settled down and hid in the shadows. He had no idea what the man had said, but he decided that he didn't care… As long as he wasn't going to kill Allen, he was satisfied. He wasn't a coward, per se, it's just… It was more fun to be alive than dead.

"They are _scary_, aren't they?" A voice next to him stated and Allen almost jumped. He turned to look towards the voice, but couldn't see anything. "Or at least they are trying to be. If you won't let them get to you, then you notice that they are only pretending to be so tough… I bet that I could win them if I just had a sword." Allen stayed quiet. Great, a person thinking that they were better than they really were… If he was that great fighter, then why was he in this hold too?

"Such weak people… I could handle those punks. You should just watch me kill them and fight my way of here… If I just had a sword…"

"You really think so?" Allen arched his eyebrow at this. This kid, he had to be one since he had a pretty high voice, had really big ego, it seemed. "Sorry if I don't believe you, but those people killed my family with the exception of my little brother and my father was a talented swordsman. If he was beaten, then I doubt you could beat them either."

"Your father had to be a big loser then." The person next to him seemed to shrug. Allen glared at him.

"Take that back!" he snarled. "You don't know anything about my father!"

"Oh really?" Now the voice was a bit scornful. "Then who was he? Komui, that horrible troubadour? Perhaps it was Reever, the local fisherman? Or Jeryy, that idiotic 'witch doctor' from the woods? Che…"

"Not any of them… And Komui wasn't a bad minstrel! He just had his own style…"

"…Which was bad, end of the story. They all were such losers."

"Don't… Don't talk like that about dead people!" He was responded by a silence. Allen felt like hitting the person. Who was he talking about people like that?! It wasn't like he knew anything… Wait, he knew about Reever… Only a person from his village knew about old Reever, that hermit! Was he a person from his village then? If was then… Who?

"…Who are you?" the dark-haired boy asked, this time curiously. He could only hear a snort from beside him.

"And why do you care?" Replied the boy instantly back, so fast that Allen had to blink

"You have to be from the same village than I am."

"So? You must be _really_ smart to make that up." The older one twitched, but didn't let the comment bother him.

"You shouldn't be such a jerk, kid; at least to your elders."

"You don't sound any older than I am, stupid." Allen twitched again.

"Then how old are you, _rugrat_?" now the boy snarled to him a bit angrily. It seemed that he wasn't used to someone talking back to him.

"I'm fourteen, you bastard!"

"See? I'm seventeen. Wait a few years, kiddo, and you'll be as old as I am. Oh wait, you'll always be younger than me. Brat." Allen added the insult like as an afterthought and almost laughed out loud as the younger boy snarled again. It was just fun to tease people younger than him, whose ego was as big as his. Daisya had always been so fun to tease. Right… His little brother…

"Oh Daisya, where have they taken you…" Allen shook his head. He would never have a normal childhood without worries… Only twelve winters old and already been made to a slave, since Allen hold no doubts that they would end up into some place nicer than that. When a village was attacked and its people taken, then slavery it was.

"…Daisya? As in that little boy with slightly crooked nose?" The dark-haired teenager was surprised for a moment before shaking it off. It wasn't a wonder if the younger boy had heard of his little brother. Daisya had been pretty famous in their village with his pranks.

"Yes, sounds like him."

"Was he taken too?" the other boy sounded honestly curious, which made Allen smile a bit until it dropped soon.

"Yes… To the other ship. There were two of them."

"…I saw only this one."

"How come? They were both very large."

"…"

"Well?"

"…I got knocked out by one of those attackers and woke up here." The boy admitted after a moment of silence. "But if I had had my sword…"

"You talk a lot about 'your sword'. Was it somehow special?" Allen quickly asked, not wanting another rant about how he would've beaten those men if he 'only had his sword'.

"Yes!" the person said loudly and started to talk about it enthusiastically. It seemed that the sword was somehow very important to him. "It's really big and sharp… I was just learning how to use it from Arystar the smith!" Allen stiffened a bit when that name was mentioned… Arystar Krory had been his father's name… "It's long, very long, and a backsword, Arystar said! It's really heavy, but I was getting used to it! Arystar said that I was good at using it! I chopped those logs like they were pieces of… Of… Paper! And… And… And it was my father's… The sword… The only thing he left for me…" the boy then quieted down as if mentioning his father made him sad. Allen felt a bit sorry for the younger male and wondered if his father had died in the attack too. He voiced the question out, but a very slight breeze told him that the boy was shaking his head.

"No… He left when I was six…" the boy mumbled.

"What about your mother?" Allen asked before he could stop himself. _Very tactful, Allen!_ He scolded himself. It didn't seem that his partner took any notice to it though.

"Never knew her. Those old ladies who gave me food often told me about how she died while giving me birth…" The older one winced.

"I'm sorry…" he said, really meaning it. Before the other one could say anything nasty to him, he continued. He knew that his words could _comfort_ the boy a bit, since if someone found another one to relate to, they could share their pain, making it go away. "I never knew my mother either. She died when I was too young to remember. My father married another one later and she gave birth to my little brother. She's not my real mother, but I regard her as such." Allen looked at the fourteen-year-old, only to see a flash of green. He and the green orbs stared at each other for a moment and Allen was sure that those belonged to the boy.

That shade of green… He was sure that he had seen it earlier somewhere.

He was sure he knew that same color.

"Håll tyst!" someone yelled angrily and both Allen and his companion fell silent as did other captives too. They didn't understand those words, but the message was pretty clear… The tone of the voice said everything:

Be quiet or _die_.

A long time they were silent before a few other attackers came down to discuss something with their jailer and soon they left the hold again, but the jailer went with them. Soon, one other man came in, but he stayed near the door, very far away from Allen and his companion's corner. They kept their silence for a while now too, but neither of them liked it. It got uncomfortable very quickly.

Allen was the one, who managed to break it first.

"So…" he hummed, trying to find something to talk about. "What is the color of your hair?"

"…My what?" the younger boy asked, incredulous tone in his voice. Allen shrugged.

"I tried to make up a line to start a conversation. To keep it going, answer it and ask your own. Maybe we can learn about each other? I think I would at least want some company on this trip to hell."

"Pessimistic much?"

"Only after seeing my mother die in front of my eyes."

"Point taken." They fell into a silence again. It didn't take as much to be broken, since the boy took Allen's advice and answered the question.

"Red."

"Huh?"

"My hair. It's red. And my eyes are green. What about you?" Allen chuckled at the short answers.

"My hair is dark brown and eyes almost same shade. Any special features?"

"Freckles…" Allen laughed again.

"How cute!"

"Shut up!" the other one hissed. "Your turn!"

"Well, I have scar on my left eye. It's a miracle that I can still see with it."

"…How did you get it?"

"Daisya dropped me from a tree four years ago. A branch scratched my face and, well, it gave me this scar. My father, he was worrying about me a lot in those days. I wasn't the most reckless child, but I had my wild moments… Most of them had something to do with Daisya, though…"

"Daisya? You've mentioned him twice now and you two seem close… What is your relationship with that brat?" the older one shrugged.

"What other things can you expect from brothers than closeness? Well, maybe rivalry or even hate, but hate is only three letters from love…" Allen hugged his knees close to him, trying to keep his warmth near himself. It was getting a little cold in there.

"…Brother?" an incredulous voice asked. "Daisya was- _is_, your brother?"

"Yeah…" Allen sighed. "Both unfortunately and fortunately."

"Then… Then you have to be… Be… _Allen_…" the other one seemed to be in a real shock, which gathered Allen's attention. The wonder and… _intensity_ of the way the redhead said his name… He looked next to him and in a flash of light he could see wide, green eyes, mop of shoulder-length red hair and… Was that a blush on his face? Allen was hit with a wave of recognition too, but unlike his companion, he couldn't recall who the other one was.

"Yes… My name's Allen."

"And… Arystar was your and… Daisya's… Father…"

"He was…" the younger one gaped for a moment before closing his mouth. Unlike how Daisya had looked like a fish with that expression, the redhead didn't. He just looked like an amazed carrot.

"…No wonder you said that I couldn't defeat any of those barbarians even if I had a sword…" the redhead said dryly after a moment. "If your father, my teacher, was defeated, then it was pretty hopeless…"

"No one's perfect. But I never knew father had a student… He was always so adamant that even I shouldn't learn anything related to swords. May I ask you, _why_ he helped you learn, but not me?"

"He didn't want to… But I… I kind of made him…" his companion said, sighing. "He was in debt to my father and when he recognized my sword, he asked if he could do anything to me. I asked for one thing, which he denied, so I then wanted to learn how to use a sword. He couldn't say no since he had done that once already."

"Maybe that's why you looked so familiar… I might've seen you around with father." Allen mused out loud. "But I can't recall your name. What is it, by the way?"

"…My name?"

"Yes, your name."

"It's… Kanda. Yu Kanda." The dark-haired teenager looked thoughtful for a moment as the stared at the younger redhead.

"Kanda, Kanda… I remember your name… Daisya talked you a lot… But I can't recall, what he said. I used to ignore him when he started to rant about something." Allen tried to remember every bit of what he had heard people say about the redhead. They weren't that nice things, he knew that, but… What could it be…? Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "Oh, I remember! He said something about a 'bastard child, who lived in the outskirt of our village'… Oh no, I didn't insult you, did I?! I'm sorry!" Allen wailed as he felt the boy wince.

"No, it's alright… I wasn't a legitimate child anyway, so…"

"No, it's _not_ alright! I can remember how the other kids talked about you, not just Daisya! They have no rights to say those things!" Allen was upset about how his little brother had acted. Hadn't their mother taught him to respect others?!

"I'm used to it, so it doesn't bother…"

"Well, it bothers me!" Kanda didn't know what hit him as he suddenly felt arms around him. He stiffened until he smelled that one particular scent, which had always seemed to make him feel things… That scent of lavender.

"I can't believe, how they can say those things! Argh, just thinking about it makes me mad!" Allen hugged Kanda closer. He didn't notice the light blush that had appeared on Kanda's face, he just felt that those rumors were his fault… That he had to _comfort_ the boy. "Well, at least they can't say those things anymore! It might not be that good thing, since we are being taken to somewhere we have _no_ idea, but at least you get some sort of new start, right?"

"U- Um… Yeah…"

"Yeah, well, not that good start… We are probably going to be slaves, but perhaps we get a chance to escape? At least you'll get. They'll probably go easy on you since you're younger… I wonder how we would be able to follow their orders if we don't understand them." Allen thought out loud, getting astray from the subject.

"M- Maybe…"

"It doesn't matter anyway. I'll help you escape. Maybe you'll them can go and find a better place for you? You could, I don't know, get a family you didn't have? Yeah, that sounds good. You could probably go back to our homeland and…"

"…And? Leave you alone?" Allen was surprised by the intensity of the question and he let go of Kanda, to look at his face. It was still dark, but he could make up some details… Like the rage in his green eyes.

"Probably yes, since I don't believe they would let me go. You, on the other hand, would have a greater chance to escape and…"

"I don't want that!" Kanda hissed, his voice low, but filled with fury. "Do you think I'm that low? To let you stay within these… _Murderers_… And rot in their hands the rest of your life?! I may be a fourteen-year-old, but I'm not completely without sense! If you helped me escape and they would catch you, then they would kill you!"

"That's one possibility, but…"

"No buts!" a snarl came and Allen's eyes were wide. "I don't want to get 'free' like that! Do you think I could live my life, to know that you died for me?! No! That life would be like a prison, far worse than slavery could ever be!"

"But you don't know me. I'm only your teacher's son, older than you anyway, so it would be my responsibility…"

"Fuck the responsibility!" Allen tilted his head slightly as he still stared at his companion. He was upset, that was sure… But how come? They didn't know each other, they were… Strangers, to say it shortly. It didn't make sense… He had thought that the kid would be jumping from the joy of getting away; to live the life he didn't in their village… That was why Allen had suggested the whole ordeal. He somehow felt responsible for Kanda's misery. He knew how Daisya could be, so he was sure that Kanda had went through quite libelous experience. Even if Daisya was younger than either of them, he was the child of one of the most respected men in the village, so the illegitimate son of someone, who Allen didn't know, didn't have a chance to get acknowledged by others.

At least over Daisya.

"Why then?" he then asked curiously. Kanda stopped his rant, which Allen had completely ignored as he hadn't even noticed it getting started… It seemed that the boy really had a 'redhead's temper'. "Why wouldn't you accept? I'm only a stranger. My life shouldn't matter to you at all."

"Of _course_ it matters! You're the person I… You're…" now the redhead's eyes widened as he stuttered over his words. It looked to Allen like Kanda had just been about to say something he hadn't wanted to reveal.

"I am?" Allen asked, urging him to continue, but the boy shook his head, face getting slightly redder.

"What am I?" Allen questioned again, not really getting it. The boy in front of him looked embarrassed in the faint light, his gaze now on the floor. Allen was about to ask again, but suddenly, the door to the hold was opened with a loud noise.

"Till rad, slaverna! Vi har lite bröd och vatten för era! Kom, kom, om era vill leva!" One of the attackers yelled, when others were making the captives into some kind of line. They had brought some light with them, so only now Allen could see how large the hold really was. It was… Huge. He could see the other captives now too, recognizing some of them. It seemed that the troubadour Komui had not died after all and even Reever had managed somehow. Allen had really thought that only children were taken, but it seemed that he had been wrong.

Or maybe the youngest of children had been taken to the other ship? If it was like that, then Daisya… He could still have a chance to see Daisya!

"They are alive… Still alive…" Allen muttered as he stared at his fellow villagers. He sighed and felt a smile tugging his lips. Maybe there was still hope… They might not be able to be as free as they were, but when there was life… There was hope.

In his moment of relief, Allen failed to notice how Kanda had started to stare at him. The younger boy had an expression of wonder and calculating on his face, which he quickly hid when the attackers came near them. He stood up, seeing how they had made others to stand up too and reached for Allen's hand. The Vikings, seeing that there were no others in that corner, moved forward as they saw how Kanda had reacted.

Allen was now staring at Kanda again. He hadn't known how tall the boy was. As he reached for the hand and Kanda helped him to stand, he could see that the younger one was only slightly shorter than him and was probably in the midst of his growth, which meant that Allen would soon be the shorter one.

He almost pouted.

"Thank you, Kan-…" he didn't get to finish his sentence as the other male quickly and subtly as a cat moved close to him. Allen couldn't even blink as Kanda pressed his lips on his lightly before walking towards the line of other slaves. The dark-haired one stared after the redhead, eyes wide in shock.

What the…?

Kanda, who now was standing in the line, smirked. He was almost _grinning_ as he thought of what he had done. He had kissed Allen, kissed the person he had wanted since he had seen him helping Arystar around; kissed the person, who had been denied from him by the same father, only to offer Kanda that he could teach the boy how to wield his precious sword.

The boy snorted. Now there was no Arystar to deny him what he wanted… Now there was no one in between him and Allen as Daisya was away… There was absolutely nothing.

It had paid well to be left in the village alone to get Arystar, the former warrior and the best swordsman of Vikings, to teach him how to use a sword; it had paid well to have sent a letter to his father about attacking the village after he had learned all he could… And it definitely had paid well to be the son of a Viking village's head.

Lesson one of the successor of a Viking chief: act as well as you can, since only acts can keep you on the throne… Act strong and your people follow you; act weak and they try to get you away from power… Act and act…

And you'll get what you want.

Kanda smirked as his thoughts lingered on the slightly older boy, who he had become obsessed with in the long years spend on watching him.

_Oh yes, father Tyki… I'm going to make you proud._

* * *

**Translations (sorry, if they aren't done well enough to satisfy you):**

"Till hörn, slav, om du vill få mat!" means: "To the corner, slave, if you want to get food!"

"Håll tyst!" means: "Be quiet!"

"Till rad, slaverna! Vi har lite bröd och vatten för era! Kom, kom, om era vill leva!" means: "Queue up, slaves! We have a bit bread and water for you! Come, come, if you want to live!"

_

* * *

_I'm pissed of right now. I'm on my mother's work laptop, in the middle of nowhere and with a very bad net connection. I was supposed to leave tomorrow; we left today. I'm going to get a laptop... After Christmas and Yullen Week. I was promised good net connections... Did I get them? NO. I can't even use a good mouse, since all my stories are on a memory stick, so I have to use the only available USB spot for it (since the other one is needed to keep the internet connection)! It SUCKS, BIG TIME!

And, on top of that... HERE'S NO MSN! I CAN'T CONTACT MY FRIENDS! MY LOVELY ANIKI, VARAANI AND ALL OTHERS! My wonderful cosplay-group, Frii-chan, my high school friends... I FEEL SO LONELY ALREADY! My mom even wants to stay here for the whole Christmas holiday; TWO AND A HALF WEEKS! Thank GOD I was promised that I can leave earlier... I will stay here a week or LESS if I can get them to buy me a ticket back to Helsinki sooner (since she and her fiancée are going to stay here with our cat).

And... --sob--... I FORGOT MY iPOD'S CHARGER HOME! I CAN'T EVEN LISTEN TO MUSIC HERE!

I'M IN HELL AND I CAN'T GET AWAY FROM IT!

Desperate Chiyon Shi.

EDIT: I FOUND THE MSN! But now I only have to get it work... I wonder how I'll do that... But I found it! --happy tears--


	4. Medieval era, around 1200 AD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own DGM nor the song (This little bird by Marianne Faithfull).

**Summary:** Allen never wanted this tournament to happen, but here she was, watching as knights came in to compete for her heart... Ah, fuck it all! Fuck her brothers, the tournament, the knights! And... Fuck Kanda! Medieval era, around 1200 AD. For Yullen Week.

**Pairing:** KandaAllen.

**Warnings:** Hmm... Assault attempt NOT made by Kanda? Also female Allen. Deal with it, she's the man!

**

* * *

Medieval era, around 1200 AD**

It was… Disturbing. To see all those men in front of her, bowing their heads. Allen felt like snorting. It wasn't her idea to be born into this noble family… And it definitely hadn't been her idea to even participate in this tournament. But no, her two older brothers decided to arrange a fucking competition about who would get to marry her! It was disrespecting and… And…

_Ugh, how I hate Jasdero and Devit right now! Fuck them all!_ Allen thought inwardly as she politely acknowledged the knights, who had arrived to compete against each other for her heart. At least her brothers had given her some freedom in the matter: she could choose the one, who she wanted from the men, so it didn't have to be the winner, who she got married to. But alas, she had to get married. What was wrong with an eighteen-year-old lady, who didn't want to stay in one place?! Heck, even now Allen would like to go out and spar with a servant of theirs, Chaoji. Even if the man wasn't that good, no one else wanted to spar with the girl…

Apparently, she was just too good and others had already given up about beating her… And she wasn't allowed to spar with real soldiers and knights. Not that her brothers knew, but she had already disobeyed that order too. Many had walked away from her with wounded pride; even she had a few times.

No one was unbeatable, she had learned.

But now, she had to watch this tournament and decide who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She knew that both of her brothers thought about what was best for her; after all, almost no one wanted to marry a woman, who was over twenty-five… They thought that if a girl hadn't gotten a man before that, she was somehow rotten.

This time, Allen snorted out loud and probably wounded some knight's pride with it as someone had just bowed in front of her, but she didn't care. Why should she care? She didn't want to get married. If possible, she would've liked to stay single for the rest of her life and wander around, to find adventures! She had tried to _protest_ against her brothers, but without any luck…

Her _protests_ fell to deaf ears.

"Allen, try to be more lady-like… There are many other nobles and lords trying to compete here!" Devit whispered on her right side. She was about to retort back about how stupid this whole idea was, but Jasdero got ahead of her.

"Think about it, honey… If you find a soul mate here, then I'm sure he wouldn't mind traveling around with you."

"Like they would want that… They only want a machine, which kindly waits them at home while they have fun and is there to give them heirs. A fuck buddy." The twins looked at each other and sighed. They loved their sister, but sometimes she was just too hardheaded for her own good. And her usage was just horrible to ears.

"Ah, Marquises Devit and Jasdero! How wonderful to see you two here!" a man greeted them as he rode before them, bowing.

"You too, Baron Suman Dark. Are you here to show your skills too?" Devit asked politely, seeing the shiny armor and the accessories of the horse. The baron nodded with vigor.

"That I am. I have seen how your beautiful sister has grown into a fine woman, and I would like to try to win over her heart by showing her, what I can do. I wish that you'll watch me, Lady Allen. Watch me, and I'll bring you all the glory from this tournament!" he bowed in front of the woman, who politely nodded back, before leaving towards the other competitors.

"For me, all the glory? As if… He only wants more power since he's just a baron…" Allen muttered as she watched the man leave. Jasdero rolled his eyes.

"I don't really think so, darling. Suman has always done what his heart wants. If he's here today, then it really means that his heart yearns for you. And, he's not that bad-looking either." The blond man appraised the man. Allen snorted again.

"Yeah, right…"

"Allen, that's not a very lady-like attitude you have there." Devit snapped. "The first guests come today, tomorrow comes the rest. The tournament starts in the third day, so you'll have time to watch them act and decide who's the fittest for you."

"What?! You mean I have to be here for three days and decide who I want?! You can't be serious!"

"We are." The marquises said in unison, and Devit continued: "Now that Suman has come, we can stop for today. Others have said to come tomorrow, so there's no need for us to stay. Yeegar, would you be so kind and announce it for our guests?" their old butler nodded and went towards their guests.

"I can't believe you two!" Allen hissed in anger, before stomping away. Well, others would've said 'walked away gracefully', but the twins knew that Allen could walk much more gracefully than that… Hence, stomping. She was muttering curses as she headed towards her rooms within the big manor. Devit and Jasdero looked at each other before sighing simultaneously.

"Do you believe this was a good idea, brother?" Jasdero asked. "It isn't fair for Allen… We know how most people are towards women in these times and unfortunately, she's right. What if…?"

"No, no 'what ifs'. We have to wait and see… and hope. And I'm sure Allen will find someone, since we have given her more freedom than our neighbors have. Remember than other girl, Lenalee? She was forced to marry an elder man by her parents and is now very unhappy within her new position." The beautiful girl had been made to marry an old duke by her parents. Even if she was now a duchess, they both knew that she would've wanted to be more a baroness with her loved one than a duchess in an unhappy marriage.

"Yes… At least now she has a chance. But what if she doesn't choose anyone?" Devit sighed and looked the retreating back of their sister.

"If she doesn't find a man she wants… Then we have to choose for her."

"…And if she doesn't like it?"

"Then she can only blame herself."

* * *

It was night when Allen snuck out of her room and wandered around the corridors of her family manor. The walls, the paintings, the coldness… It was all her home. Her home… Which she was being driven away from. She lightly touched the cold wall and sighed. All of her memories were somehow tied to this place. She knew every single part of their domain… Far better than her brothers.

She was the odd one in the world. Women… They were not supposed to have their own mind. Or they were, but not in the same way as men. They were supposed to say at home and raise the heirs… While men were the ones, who traveled around and took care of everything else. Allen didn't want that kind of life. Sure, if she was to have children, then she would… But to only live for giving heirs and be the 'price' her husband could show to everyone else?

No, not a chance. She was too independent for that.

She walked for a while in silence, glancing around the familiar paintings, slowly moving forward towards her favorite one: the one about children playing in a field without any kind of worry. She smiled as she reached it and touched lightly the frame of it. Ah, so many memories… She and her brothers had been like that once, when their father had still been alive. He had died two years ago from old age and her older twin brothers inherited the position of marquise. No one knew, which one of them was the older heir, so they both got the title… Or rather, shared it.

She felt a slight breeze and turned her head to look at the right. A window was open… Allen took a few steps and looked out of it, seeing the night sky filled with stars. She smiled as she stared at the skies of darkness and light. She loved the night… It was so peaceful and lovely, especially in winter, when the stars were the brightest.

Deciding to do something drastic, she stepped to the windowsill, taking slightly support from the frame. She closed her eyes and smiled. There she was, enjoying the warm breeze and the peacefulness of the darkness… It was so quiet, so lovely… The feeling was like she was free, like she could do anything. She giggled softly as she felt her nightgown move against her slender legs. It was just like in the past…

_Crack_.

Allen was thrown back into reality by a sudden noise and her eyes flashed open. Her poise was suddenly thrown away and she swung dangerously close to the other side of the window, almost ready to fall into the darkness and towards the ground…

…But she didn't fall. Allen felt strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her back inside. She let out a small shriek, but she didn't know if it was because of the arms or because of nearly falling out of the window. She let out a breath and quickly took another, repeating the act for a moment. When she felt that she had gotten her calm back, she turned back towards her savior…

…Only to see the dark corridor and nothing else.

Allen blinked. Hadn't someone saved her just now? Yes, she was sure of it. She could still feel the warmth of the other's body as she was lifted inside. She felt a small blush finding to her face as she recalled the contact. She was sure that her savior had been a man; there was no doubting to that fact. And the man had to be one of the guests, since she would've already gotten a lecture from a servant if it had been one of them… And her brothers could sleep through a war without waking up. Allen herself slept lightly, so she could wake up from the smallest of noise.

She had admitted more than once that she was jealous of her brothers.

But that thing aside, her blush was still on place. Not once had a man touched her like that, with such gentleness and care. Her brothers hugged her rather violently and, well… No servants really hugged her. Only her brothers…

Deciding to retreat for the night, she walked back to her room, silently as ever. Resting on the bed, she felt the sleep coming her way fast. She smiled and wondered if she could see her rescuer the next day, so that she could thank him.

The next morning, she forgot about the whole meeting for a moment as two smirking males attacked her in her sleep. Oh, and she did scream this time.

* * *

"Allen, you look slightly tired…" Jasdero said as he, Devit and Allen sat on their long dinner table. Some of the guests were having breakfast too, but only the ones, who had woken up too late. Usually the twins and Allen would've eaten already, but today the men bullied their sister to wear a beautiful white dress, so that her beauty would get out better…

This meant that they had to chase after Allen for a while, since the girl like pants more than some kind of skirt.

"…You would look too, if you had run from you two for an hour and slept for fucking five hours…" she yawned and took another piece of bread. She quickly glanced around the knights and nobles, who were eating too, and shook her head. No, she didn't think her savior was any of them. All of those men looked pretty weak, not to mention that Allen definitely didn't want a man, who woke up late. _It tells about bad training_, her mother had said once and Allen knew how true it was. She could tell which of the knights had had better training than the others.

"Five hours?! How can you still live? Ah, I know! Devit, our sister is a vampire!" Jasdero wailed as Allen just sighed and ignored her brother's antics. The blond man had always been slightly theatrical.

"Or she has already found a man and was thinking him all night, hmm? Which is it, Allen? Love or vampire?" Devit asked playfully. Allen hummed slightly, but ignored her brother. She calmly ate the rest of her breakfast in silence while the twins looked at her, still waiting for an answer.

"Thank the cook for the meal." Allen smiled at Yeegar before standing up. "I'll see you two at midday where we were yesterday, so the 'lovely' knights can see, how beautiful I am even today and try to woo me over. Geez, how I am looking forward to it." She gave a small glare at her brothers before walking out of the room, hips swaying in a quite seductive way… Which she herself didn't know. The knights saw it, though, and watched her leave.

Jasdero and Devit looked at each other before nodding in agreement.

"She's a vampire."

* * *

"Fuck them all…" Allen muttered as she walked out of the manor, towards the large garden of theirs. Her long, white dress moved in the soft wind as she strolled forward, listening to the birds singing in the green trees. Her long platinum blond hair swung along the wind too and her eyes reflected the clear blue sky above her. Allen's mouth, which was usually smiling, was now forming an angry line as she bit her bottom lip.

"I so hate 'Dero and Dev'! Such hypocrites! They aren't married _themselves_ yet and now they're urging me to get a husband! Fuck them all!" She ended up beside a small pond on a corner of their garden, under a large tree. She leaned against it, but didn't sit down, as much as she wanted to.

"And if it's not enough, then they made me wear a _dress_… Not even pants under it! A white dress! It's like a punishment! I can't even sit down, because of this fucking color!" Allen hit her hand against the bark of the tree.

"A _fucking_ tournament… _A_ _fucking_ _marriage_…" She muttered to herself angrily. So what, if she was acting more than a little bitchy?! She had a right to do so!

"Fuck, fuck and bigger _fuck_…"

_Crack_.

"Ack!" Allen let out a surprised yelp and she whipped around, finding herself looking at a very handsome man. His dark blue outfit reflected his hair, which was the darkest Allen had ever seen. It was so dark that Allen could've sworn that even the Devil was jealous of it. Even the stranger's eyes, which were staring into hers, matched the darkness by their blackness.

All this would've made a normal lady bewildered, even afraid, but was Allen an ordinary woman? No, she wasn't. So instead, she narrowed her own eyes and gave the man her angriest glare. The dark man could only blink in amazement as the glare's full power hit him.

"And what the fuck _you_ want from me?" Allen hissed. "What are you doing here?!"

"And how the fuck does that concern you in any way?" the man replied with as much force, snorting at the woman's demanding tone. Allen stared at the man as his answer only fueled her bad mood.

"This is _my_ garden and the fact that _you_ are _here_ makes it _my_ business, so _spit it out_." The stranger looked like he was actually starting to give an answer before he swallowed it and answered by one word:

"No."

"And _why_ not?"

"Is it very lady-like to curse like a sailor?" the man actually sounded a bit curious. Allen was almost furious that her questions had been ignored.

"Do you think I care a _shit_ about how the _fucking_ way I'm talking, you _dimwitted bastard_, in the name of _nine circles of hell_?! _Damn it_!" she cursed some more, just to release some of her anger. It didn't help much at all.

"I'm not sure if you care about it, but I'm sure your… Candidates for marriage would." Allen's eyes narrowed again.

"Care to say that again?"

"I said that 'I'm sure that your candidates for marriage' would care about how you use your language." The man spelled out, treating her like a little child. The woman took a shaky breath as she collected her remaining calmness and walked next to the man. He looked a bit suspicious as she gave him a smile, which just screamed 'fake'.

"Are you one of those 'candidates' then?" the man rolled his eyes.

"Do I look like one?" when Allen didn't answer, he continued. "Fine, I am, but not from my free will. My father made me to come to 'compete for a heart of a _lovely_ maiden'. The old man had to be _crazy_ if he thought that _you're_ lovely…" he rolled his eyes again.

It was almost visible, how the last string of Allen's patience and calmness snapped. In a flash, the man found himself in the small pond, a water lily on his head as he had been completely drenched. Allen took yet another shaky breath as she tried to walk away with as much dignity as she could have in that situation.

Well, he would have even less dignity when he walked back to the manor in his rather wet clothes. Allen smirked and laughed even within the hearing distance, forgetting to be polite… Not that it would've helped anymore anyway.

_Damn, that felt good_, she thought and grinned, being more cheerful than in the whole week.

* * *

The man in the pond was glaring at the woman, who was almost skipping away. He heard her laughter and he just _knew_ that she was laughing at him. Snarling, he stood up and ripped the water lily from his dark hair and giving a final look at the blond before leaving to other direction, towards his room.

No one messed with Yu Kanda.

_No one._

* * *

Allen would've liked to say that the rest of the day went well… But it didn't. There was war in the air. Between who, you may ask?

Well… Between Allen and one of the knights.

And yes, the knight's name was Kanda.

It wasn't a visible fight, though. They didn't use hands or swords, or anything like that, since Allen was a noble woman and Kanda… Well, Allen didn't know. A knight he still was, since he was competing. The woman didn't even know why he was competing. After all, he could've just mentioned to his 'old man' that he lost and gone to home already… And…

But that wasn't the point. Allen and Kanda fought verbally, using insults shrouded in politeness. Other knights and nobles were a bit jealous about the attention Kanda got from the beautiful maiden, but her brothers were thinking the stark opposite. The dark man had somehow gotten into Allen's bad side… And it was hard to get out of that black list.

Both of the men knew that quite well from their own experience.

That was how the second day went and when the day ended, Allen had been introduced to over ten other candidates to count into the amount of competitors. It made Allen almost want to puke. About thirty males, all trying to woo her over… With the exception of Kanda, of course… But almost every man…

And she didn't even remember how many of them were after her status and money, but she recalled that the amount was over half.

"This is a disaster…" she sighed as she finally sat on her bed in exhaust. A long day and even longer dinner. Especially, when Jasdero and Devit had suddenly announced that they had arranged a small ball…

Allen didn't know when, but sometime around the day the twins had invited some other nobles into their mansion and had really arranged a ball… And it wasn't small one. The whole hall was full of dancers, both male and women… And Allen was included in that group.

Not willingly, not at all… But her brothers didn't let her sit down and made her dance with the knights and nobles alike. There was one interesting fact, though… The one, who she danced most with, was Kanda. When she had danced with someone else, like that Suman Dark, Kanda had come to interfere at some point and taken her away. But even as they danced together, they didn't stop their quarrel for a moment.

Jasdero and Devit could only watch as their little sister threw insults at the dark man and nothing else. They had arranged this ball, so that the girl could talk with different men and maybe find the one, who fitted her best… No luck with that as the young Kanda destroyed their little plan completely.

The two had to sigh in defeat.

And now the woman in question cursed her both brothers for making up that stupidest ball ever. Allen _hated_ dancing over anything else. Why? Because it made her feet die.

"Oh, fuck it!" she huffed and almost ripped her dress off, quickly putting on pants and a loose long-sleeved shirt and kicked her shoes off to replace them with more comfortable boots. Allen sighed happily as she felt life coming back to her feet. She also grabbed her sword and headed outside right after.

She needed something to relieve her stress with and Chaoji would have to do.

* * *

"Oh, come on, Chaoji! You can't be _that_ bad!" Allen taunted the older man, who, while panting, tried to once again slash towards the girl. He was too slow, Allen noted for the hundredth time and evaded almost effortlessly.

She sighed. She was frustrated beyond anything… Chaoji was no good, she decided. He wasn't a challenge at all, no matter how much he tried. She was just too good for him to ever even dream about beating.

"Okay, let's stop… You're already done." Allen sighed again, dropping her stance. Without any arguments, Chaoji dropped on his knees, almost throwing his sword away. The woman gave a small glare at the man, but he didn't notice.

Another pretty common feature in men which she didn't like… They treated swords like they were toys and held no respect for them.

"Let's… Let's just keep a small break, Allen… I can continue soon!" Chaoji gasped, but she only shook her head while sheathing her sword.

"No," she denied. "You're done and can't keep up with me anymore. Too tired already."

"I can!" the man argued. "Just a moment and we can continue!"

"Just go to bed, Chaoji…" Allen told them man boldly and turned away from him. It was already near midnight as she looked at the moon. It was almost full. Only a couple of nights and it would shine on this manor beautifully…

…But she wouldn't be there to see it. No, tomorrow she would have to choose a man and probably leave as soon as that man wanted. She shivered in cold, even if the summer night was warm…

"Allen?" she blinked as she heard the voice from beside her. Curiously, she looked into Chaoji's light blue eyes. The light-brown haired male stared into her eyes with a question in his own orbs.

"What are you thinking?" he then proceeded to ask, which Allen answered by lifting her eyes back to the moon. "Perhaps about tomorrow?"

"…Yeah…" she agreed, blinking as the stars blinked. "I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow… I have no idea."

"Not even one?"

"No… Not one. It's difficult, Chaoji. To decide, when I've really known those men for less than three days." Allen smiled bitterly. "I know that 'Dero and Dev' are just trying to think the best of me, but it's hard to believe it when they've put me into a situation like this…"

"Allen…" the man said her name, different tone on his voice. The woman turned back to him again. "If you don't want to marry any of them… Then…"

"Then? Do you have some sort of an answer to my problem?" Allen arched an elegant eyebrow at her 'friend' from long time.

"You could… Always… Run away with me?"

The woman gaped at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Run away. With me." Chaoji nodded. "Yeah." Allen stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. When the man started to look insulted, she shook her head in apology.

"S- Sorry, Chaoji, you just caught me by surprise."

"What is there to laugh?" he demanded to know, biting his lip to keep his temper under control. "I mean, that's always a possibility."

"No, it's not." Allen shook her head.

"And why not?"

"Because… Well…" how could she even say to the man that she didn't like him that much politely? He was a friend… Sort of. Not one she would trust her life with, but a person she could bother when she was angry or upset and who to kick when she felt like it.

Allen had never said she was a nice person.

"Allen…" the man took her hand on his own and the woman almost panicked right then and there. What was with that deep voice?!

"I… You know that I like you… A lot?" and now, Allen's day was officially turned into the worst day of her life.

"Chaoji, no."

"What? You can't expect that after spending lots of time with you, I wouldn't feel anything for you?! And you have to feel something for me too… Why otherwise you would've spent so many of your evenings with me?"

_Because you're the only one, who fenced with me? Because I needed a stress reliever?_ She asked inwardly and took her hand off from Chaoji's. "I'm sorry Chaoji, but I don't feel that way with you." She then simply said, hoping that saying the thing like it was would be enough.

Wrong, naive Allen. Wrong.

"Why not?! What is wrong with me then?!" Allen blinked unsurely.

"Um… Nothing? Perhaps?"

"Then why?!"

"I don't know! Maybe because I don't like you more than as a friend?"

"You're cruel, Allen…" the man sighed. "So cruel… What makes me a friend then, and not a lover?" she shrugged.

"You aren't my type, Chaoji. Never was. And… Well… That's it. Good night. I'll see you tomorrow." She wished to just run away from him, so she turned her back at him and started to walk back to the mansion.

A mistake.

Allen felt that she was being twisted around and found herself facing the man again. His eyes were deep in sadness of being rejected. It almost made Allen feel bad, but she wasn't going to run away with him just because he liked her.

"Then… Before you leave… Could you…" the man took a breath. "Could you give me a kiss?" Allen's eyes widened.

"_What_?!" she almost yelled out loud and flushed slightly. She had never, ever, kissed another man before… Family didn't count.

"A kiss, that's all I ask." Chaoji took a step and stood tall beside her. Allen cursed. She _knew_ that she wasn't that tall, but beside the man she was a frigging _mouse_!

"No, Chaoji. Not a chance."

"Because it would be your first kiss?"

"Because… Yes, it would be my first kiss. And I don't want it to be with you." She bluntly said and the man winced.

"Ouch… That was harsh."

"That's the truth." She shrugged and Chaoji gave her a small smile.

"That was one of the things that made me fall in love with you… And I apologize." He swung her, so that she was against him in an embrace. "If you aren't going to give me a kiss willingly, then I guess I have to take it… By using force." His arms were around her in a strong grip that she couldn't break.

Allen's eyes were wide.

This embrace was nothing like yesterday night's one… This one was almost hurting while the other one had been gentle and almost… Tender.

Chaoji wasn't her prince with shining armor… He was a peasant with the hardest hands.

"Let go of me, Chaoji!" Allen demanded. "Even if I were to love you, I couldn't! Do you think my brothers would allow me to be with you?! Only a knight or a noble are the choices I have! Not… Not a servant!"

"A… Servant? That's how you think of me? Only a servant?!"

"No! I only meant…!"

"No… You meant that, didn't you, Allen…" Chaoji's smile was almost sad. "I thought you didn't care that much about the statuses of people… But I guess I was wrong… You're just like the others!"

"Chaoji! You know that what you're saying isn't true!"

"But… I still can't forget, what my heart tells. Let me make you feel what I feel for you…" the man lowered his face and Allen's eyes widened even more if it was even possible.

"N- No, Chaoji… Stop it… Go away! STOP IT! LET GO OF ME!"

Suddenly, Allen felt that she was being pulled away from her 'friend's' arms and to other ones, where she now was. These arms… They were the same arms as yesterday. The arms that had saved her from falling from the window.

"Wh- who…?!" Chaoji gaped at the interruption and Allen almost felt like smiling. She felt safe.

"The lady asked you not to do anything inappropriate to her and you should always listen to what a lady says. That is the first law of gentlemen." The stranger stated and the woman laughed inwardly wildly. She now knew, who the owner of the voice was and couldn't believe the words he had just said. They didn't make any sense, but hey, when things really did?

"You have no right…!"

"I think I have every right to stop you, especially since the lady you tried to approach was screaming for you to let go."

"Y- You!" Chaoji was looking murderous and Allen was now happy that he had left the sword to the stable, where they had fenced. Who knew what the man could've done with a sword when he looked like that?

"Leave, peasant. You're not wanted here." The raging man gave one last glare at the other man before looking at Allen.

"This isn't over, you… _Harlot_." He snarled before stomping away in anger. Allen let out a breath of relief so quickly that it almost popped. She felt the warm arms let go of her and she took a step away, to look into the eyes of her savior.

"Well, well, well… Behind the scenes you can be a gentleman too, huh?" Allen asked amusement now visible in her eyes. The man snorted.

"And you can be the damsel in distress." He answered and smirked as her eyes twitched in annoyance.

"I guess I should thank you… But now that I think of it, should I? It would only burst your… Ego up too much. It might reach up to the skies and God might get angry with you for interrupting his… Well, whatever God does nowadays."

"If that happens, then I'll blame you and we'll both go to hell." Allen laughed.

"That we do… But seriously, thank you… I don't know what would've happened if Chaoji… He…" she shivered. "Anyway, thanks."

"I was walking around and saw the situation, so you don't have a need to thank me. It's my duty as a knight to help the _weak_." Allen knew that the man was annoying her on purpose and almost smiled. That man…

"Can you wield that sword you carry around, dear knight?"

"I'm the best." She grinned mischievously.

"Care to take a match against me, Kanda?"

* * *

"Good morning, brothers!" Allen greeted her siblings with a wide smile as she sat down for breakfast. At last she had had an enjoyable fight with someone, who didn't bother to hide their strength from her or give her pity-points! Last night, she and Kanda had fought with swords and Allen had to admit that he was as good as he claimed to be. He was even better than her, but that she didn't say out loud.

And she had laughed. Oh Lord, how much she had laughed! The insults they had thrown at each other in the midst of the fight had been hilarious! Well, they had been completely derogatory and mordant, but oh, how fun they had been… Allen didn't even remember when she had had as much fun as she just had! Even Kanda had been smirking, so Allen knew that he had enjoyed the verbal dispute too.

Allen smiled even brighter as she sat down and looked at Jasdero and Devit. It faded soon, though, as the twins' serious expressions turned to her.

"'Dero? Dev'? What's wrong?" she tilted her head curiously. The men looked at each other before muttering in unison:

"We are sorry, Allen…" the woman only blinked in surprise.

"For what, you two? Did you kill someone and the king wasn't pleased?" she tried to joke, but they didn't answer to it. She frowned. It had to be serious if even Jasdero was quiet.

"We are very sorry…" Devit sighed deeply. "…But we had to give in under the pressure of the higher ups…"

"Eh?"

"We… We mean…" the only dark-haired one within the three siblings dropped his head and Jasdero, usually the joker and never the serious one, hardened his eyes.

"Our promise shall be broken from this moment, darling sister. You're the new price of the tournament. You cannot decide your future husband, but the winner of the contest shall be given your hand." Allen's eyes widened in shock.

"…What?"

"I said…"

"N- No, I heard what you said… But… Why? You promised me… So… You can't just take your words back just like that! A promise is a promise and… And… You promised I wouldn't have the same destiny as Lenalee!" she protested rather loudly as the three were the only ones in the room.

"We are sorry." Jasdero repeated again. "But we couldn't affect on this matter."

"Why?! You arranged this tournament! You- you should have every right to…"

"The youngest son of the king demanded for it."

"Eh?!" Allen stared at her blond brother. "The prince?! Because of him, I… How did he even know?!"

"Because he is here…" Devit muttered and looked pleadingly at Allen, who turned speechless.

"H- He is… The prince is here?! But… Why is he…?!"

"We don't know." Jasdero answered truthfully. "But here he is. He may even compete himself, we don't know… We didn't even know he was here before he showed us the royal seal and demanded for this…"

"…And because of that, we couldn't disagree."

"No… This can't be true…" Allen whispered to no one. "No, no, no, no…"

"Allen…?"

"No! You- This can't be!" the woman almost yelled and ran from the room, her long blue dress flowing as she did. She had never even touched her breakfast. The twins looked at each other sadly and Jasdero shook his head.

"Let's give her some time…" he suggested before turning back to his food, his appetite completely gone. Devit nodded sullenly.

"Yeah…"

* * *

Allen sat beside the pond in her favorite side of the garden, staring at her reflection.

_It wasn't fair…_ She thought and threw a rock at the waters, successfully destroying the image. _Just because of some prince, I have to… To…_ she threw another rock, this time almost getting wet herself.

"Oh, fuck it…" she whispered and looked at the bright blue sky. It was so bright that she felt like it was mocking her… In every possible way. She noticed a small bird, which was flying in the sky. Higher and higher it flew, until she couldn't even see it. The blond woman smiled sadly as a song that her mother had used to sing to her came to her mind.

A sad, sad song…

_There's a little bird that somebody sends  
down to the earth to live on the wind.  
Borne on the wind and he sleeps on the wind  
this little bird that somebody sends._

Allen sang with a soft voice and she felt a strong breeze waving the leaves. She closed her eyes, enjoying it and the freedom it was sending. It was quiet there as no one else was around. So quiet… So silent…

_He's light and fragile and feathered sky blue,  
so thin and graceful the sun shines through.  
This little bird that lives on the wind,  
this little bird that somebody sends.  
_

She opened her eyes and looked up again. There it was; the bird was there again. It was flying in circles, its faraway voice rejoicing about the things it was experiencing. Still, as soon as Allen had seen it, it flew back towards the higher part of the sky, so that it would disappear again.

She lowered her eyes and sang the rest of the song.

_He flies so high up in the sky  
out of reach of human eye.  
And the only time that he touches the ground  
is when that little bird  
is when that little bird  
is when that little bird dies._

Sad, sad song, reminding Allen of the life and how easily it could perish. Her mother loved the song and sang that a lot to her daughter. She had known a lot and taught Allen many things about life. She was gone now, though… Perished, as did that little bird in the song. Some kind of sickness took her from them and her father followed soon after, missing her too much.

Allen sighed. _How depressing… How… Lame._

"Allen?" a voice called her and the woman was startled. Her head whipped around and she saw Kanda watching her a few feet away.

"Oh… Kanda."

"What's with the 'oh, Kanda'? And why the hell are you looking so depressed?"

"Ah, well… I got told by my brothers that I'm going to be the price of the fucking tournament, so… I guess I'm sad that I can't decide this whole thing myself? Or I don't know. Maybe because I have to get married altogether? Hmm… That's a problem too." She thought out loud, but Kanda only looked annoyed by this answer.

"What's with this 'lame' reply? I thought you had more guts in you."

"Lame? Well, perhaps my reply was lame. Sorry?" she laughed, but it was a bit dry and bitter-sounding. Really, she was turning into a bitter old grandma if she still acted like she did. "Honestly, Kanda, I don't know what I can do anymore… I have no freedom on this matter anymore. I'm just a fucking… _Object_ that is going to be a fucking _price_. And I can do _nothing_ to stop it!" The man gave her a serious look, before walking right next to her and pulling her harshly up.

"…K- Kanda?" she choked out, being caught by surprise.

"Don't ever say things like that again. It's not like you at all." The dark man told her, _lectured_ her, and she glared at him for that.

"Then what else can I do?! I can't change the fact now, can I?! It's all because of that stupid prince, who decided that it would be great if I was... was some kind of _reward_ from 'hard work'!" she spat out the word 'prince' and Kanda sighed for some reason.

"Well then, if you hate the fact so much, then I'll have to try and win, right?" Allen looked stupefied... Absolutely stupefied as she stared into Kanda's dark eyes.

"You… what?!"

"Now, then if that's decided, could you tell me what that song was? It was really depressing one and somehow familiar. What was its name?" the man randomly changed the subject, making Allen gape.

"But… You can't just change the subject!"

"I'm sure that isn't the name. It talked about a bird, so the name has to relate to it somehow?"

"Kanda! What did you mean by…?"

"I'm sure my name isn't the song's name either. I mean, I would know if someone made a song about me and last time I looked into a mirror, I didn't have wings…"

"Kanda! Answer me!"

"Well, if you aren't going to tell me, then…"

"Hey, why are you leaving now?! I was talking to you, come back here! Hey, Kanda, _wait_!"

* * *

It was almost the end of the tournament, when Allen glanced between the two last competitors. The other one was Kanda, just as he promised to try to win, and the other one was Suman Dark. Other knights and nobles had already been dropped from the competition long ago, only the two men were left to continue. Many had left to nurse their wounds, longingly looking at the beautiful maiden, who was like a dream to them… And as a dream she would be left too.

This maiden also ignored their existence completely too, but we are not going to dig into this subject.

She was intensely staring at the two men, who were preparing to the next round. Jasdero and Devit, who were seated in her both sides, we in unison raising their hands, to let the next round start.

And it did.

With a roar, Suman ran towards Kanda, his sword raised high, but not that high that he would've been left without any kind of protection. As he reached the darker man, Kanda slashed his sword against Suman's and they glared at each other. Moving his sword along the other one, Kanda effortlessly moved to the left side, trying to catch Suman by that way.

Not a chance, the baron evaded the strike by a mile.

Slashed once, slashed twice and many times more, the fight got more and more intense. You couldn't see the end of it, not really. Allen bit her lip. If Kanda lost, then she would be the new baroness of… Whatever was the place Suman hold that title for. If Kanda won… Then Allen had no idea what would happen.

Allen was brought back to the reality as Jasdero and Devit breathed in simultaneously, probably in shock. She quickly turned her eyes to the fighting pair, where the other one was lying on the ground, glaring at the other one, who was standing before him with his sword on the lying man's neck.

Allen inhaled quickly too as her eyes widened in realization.

Kanda…

Had lost.

The dark man was sprawled on the ground and his sword lied a few feet from him. Suman was grinning victoriously and he looked back at the two marquises and their sister to announce the winner. The twins looked at each other and then to Allen. The woman's eyes had dimmed as she watched her new husband-to-be, biting her bottom lip, so that she wouldn't start to yell _protests_ against the whole thing.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" Devit started to announce. He had stood up from his chair, so that all of the audience would see him.

"…The winner of this tournament is…" Jasdero continued, having stood up too at the same time as his twin brother. Allen's head was down as she prayed this to be a simple nightmare. Smiling, Suman withdrew his sword and started to walk towards the place, where the three nobles sat. The twins nodded at the same time and finished together:

"Suman D-…"

But did they get to finish? No, of course not.

People like to interrupt others, it seems.

"_Objection_." Kanda's voice boomed as he stood up, whistling once loudly. No more than after a second, a horse ran from the stables to him and he jumped on its back gracefully. His sword was neatly placed on its sheath.

Allen's head snapped to look at the man, who had _protested_ as Suman started to speak.

"You've already lost, knight. I've won." The dark man shrugged and smirked.

"Perhaps… But if that has happened…" he urged his mount to gallop past Suman and next to the three siblings, everyone looking surprised. He then stretched his hand and grabbed Allen's by one quick move and pulled her in front of him. By getting suddenly more weight, Kanda's mount, Komui, jumped on his hind legs and… Well…

Let's just say that the whole picture looked very cool.

"…Then I just have to steal the price for myself." The man's smirk widened as he met other people's completely stupefied expressions, Allen being probably the most amazed from them all. "Say good bye to your brothers and former husband-to-be, since we are going to have the ride of our life. Hang on!" Kanda yelled and urged his mount to lope again. Allen shrieked and grabbed on Kanda's shirt, clutching on it as they leaped over a low hedge and ran away faster than anything. Looking back, Allen could faintly see a few people running after them… Most likely her brothers and Suman.

They leaped over something again and Allen shrieked again.

This definitely _wasn't_ good for the heart.

"K- K- Kanda?! What the heck was this for?!" she asked finally as she got her voice back and when that happened, her whole family manor had disappeared from horizon sometime ago. The man shrugged.

"I guess I kidnapped you." He simply said, slowing the pace a bit into a trot, so that Komui wouldn't use all of his energy right away.

"I… Saw and _felt_ that, thank you very much…" the woman muttered. "But why?"

"Why? I thought you didn't want to marry Suman."

"Well, I didn't. And don't."

"Then what's the problem?"

"…Kanda, I got kidnapped by you in front of my family and the person I was supposed to marry. Don't you think I need some kind of explanation? Where are we going to hide?! I'm sure that 'Dero and Dev' won't stop looking for me. And Suman too. And besides, it was the prince's will that I became an object in the first place! You defied the prince of this country too!?"

"Too many questions at the same time, missy!"

"I thought you could comprehend bigger sentences."

"Fuck you."

"No, fuck you. And answers?"

"Fucking woman…" the man grinned and Allen had to blink. Kanda looked very handsome while smiling… He still looked good while smirking, absolutely, but smiling definitely got his face's better side up.

"You should smile more often."

"Why?" the man let his face drop and put a frown on. Allen rolled her eyes.

"So that you won't get wrinkles all over your forehead. They'll stick, you know?"

"Old women's talk."

"Well, they should know. Have you seen how wrinkled some of them really are?"

"Point taken."

"And I still want my answers."

"Well, fuck it." Kanda looked at Allen's demanding eyes and sighed. "So, what was the first question again?"

"Where are we going to hide?" she quickly said as it was the main thing problem in her mind. Kanda smirked.

"At my place."

"And that is…?"

"A place within two days of riding."

"That's… Near the capital, isn't it?" Allen wondered and Kanda nodded.

"Yes, it is."

"Alright… But… The prince, he lives in the capital too, so it would be easy for him to find us… And what's going to happen to me anyway? I can't hide for the rest of my life!"

"We don't have to worry about the prince and we won't be hiding at all." Kanda stated and Allen looked at him curiously.

"How can you be so sure? And no hiding?"

"Why should we hide, if you're going to be my wife?"

"…I'm going to _what_? Fuck, you can't decide for that!"

"I just did." Kanda smirked as he watched Allen's different expressions. Oh yes, he would be amused for the rest of his life, that was sure. "And as much as I 'love' you usage of language, refrain from using it in front of the nobles. It would probably wound their prides, since they could do nothing about it. After all, how can they say anything about you, when you're going to be the wife of youngest prince?"

"I-… What? The prince?! But you just said I was… Wait… You-…" Allen's eyes were wide as the prince only continues to smirk. She-… She was going to…

Oh, fuck it all.

"_What the hell is going on_?!"

* * *

I've been fighting over putting this one shot into this site for a LONG TIME, so sue me if there are mistakes! I'm just tired of... Trying! It's like everything's against me now... --deep sigh-- The internet, the msn (I got it to work, but it's not working well... Oh well, at least I'm not alone again)... Gosh, I hate this place. Six full days left if my mom keeps her promise (and I MAKE her keep it)...

**The reason why Allen's a female in this one shot:** It's because I don't believe everyone would reincarnate every time with same gender. It's like I said before: they are different-looking, have some different traits, different destinies... So why couldn't they have different genders? Besides, this Allen was far manlier than in the second one shot. Actually, I think I made both Allen AND Kanda stay more IC than in any of those previous one shots. Weird, huh?

I hope you enjoyed it ;)

Chiyon Shi.


	5. Medieval era, around 1350 AD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own DGM.

**Summary:** In these times, it was hard to find happiness, or even go on living; death was around every corner as was the fear of losing something important... And then there was Kanda and Allen. The Black Death, around 1350 AD. For Yullen Week.

**Pairing:** KandaAllen.

**Warnings:** Character death (sorry, Cross).

**

* * *

**

**Medieval era, around 1350 AD**

Allen ran through the dying city in the Kingdom of Germany, panting as he did. Corpses filled the streets since not many wanted to take them away, not wanting to touch them… People were dying around because of the mysterious plague, which no one knew about anything. It was suspected to have come through travelers and their goods, so Allen's town did all that they could to stop it from invading their city… And that was why Allen's home had been closed from everyone… But too late. The illness was already inside and now since no one got out and no one entered, it was almost like a death trap to many people.

It had been to Allen too. He had fallen sick a few days back and his body had been filled with blains and he had been so _terribly sick_. He had never been so sick in his whole life… It had been so horrible… No one dared to visit him, or if someone did, Allen didn't let them in. He didn't want to make other people sick because of him. He had even shut out his own best friend, who had tried to get in touch with him. But like a miracle, he had survived. He had survived from the illness, from the death.

He had cheated death.

He was now practically skipping towards his best friend's place, to tell him that he was now healthy. Many had said that after you had survived the illness once, you didn't catch it the second time. If that was the case, then Allen had nothing to worry about.

Absolutely _nothing_ to worry about.

Turning around the corner, he smiled as he saw a familiar _playground_. That was where he had the most of happy memories with his best friend. Kanda and Allen, they had been inseparable since their earliest childhood days. Smiling, Allen ran past the place and towards another street.

He would be soon there.

The brown-haired boy wrinkled his nose as he smelled something _really_ rotten, more rotten than the smell of death. He looked to his side and saw two men, sick with the plague, dragging away some other, dead, man towards a house. Some were waiting for them with a torch, so Allen was pretty sure that they were going to burn the plague-filled building. It was probably full with other corpses too.

He couldn't watch it and continued on his way. So sick men and even then they were doing their best so that others would manage… The twenty-six years old man ran into someone and quickly apologized. His breathe was caught as he saw the tired eyes of a man he knew very well… The town's most respected merchant, even if he was quite a drunkard and pervert, Cross Marian.

"Mr. Cross?" Allen asked as he looked at the dead-looking man. The blond man nodded slowly in recognition.

"Hello, young Allen…" he whispered in a hoarse voice. "I suppose that the plague didn't take you with it?" Allen shook his head.

"I survived."

"Well, fucking good news that at least someone did." The man sighed. "I won't make it… I'm already old and won't survive from something like this… Even young Kanda said so."

"Kanda did?" the younger man blinked. He knew that the dark-haired man wanted to be a doctor, studied to be one, but he didn't know that he had already started to help people in reality. Allen smiled. Kanda always was the kind one, helping others… Well, not really kind, but anyone, who aspired to be a doctor, was kind in Allen's books.

"He did…" Cross sighed again. "Such a great young man, even if he's a bitch when getting out of bed on the wrong side… Too bad, too bad…"

"'Too bad' what?" Allen tilted his head and he suddenly felt cold. Had something happened to Kanda? Cross coughed.

"Did you see people lighting a fire nearby?" the man ignored his questions. Allen let it go, since he was already going to visit Kanda. He would know soon anyway.

"Yeah, just around the corner. Why?"

"I'm going to jump in and be burned with it. Fucking decease, I won't let it kill me. It's my life, my way of ending it, and if it can't be through liquor and women, then _fuck it_. I'm going to have a talk with Devil when I end up in hell…"

"…You what?" Allen stared at the old man, not really believing what he had just heard.

"The only thing I regret is that I haven't had a good fuck for five days or good wine for two weeks. Only some water-shit… Well, are you going to your friend now?! Move it, brat!" the man's mood turned upside down and he almost growled, making Allen jump. First he was crestfallen and now angry… Same old Cross. Moody as always. The younger man smiled.

"Yes, Mr. Cross. I will."

"The go!" the man shooed him, starting to walk towards the smoke that was coming from the direction Allen had come. The brown-haired man looked at the retreating back of the merchant, knowing that this was the last time he would see him, before starting to run again. Kanda's home was only a street away.

Cross sighed as he heard the steps of Allen's slowly disappearing from his hearing range. Poor boy, he would probably wish to have died too soon… Why did the God want to torture them like that? Especially people like Allen and his fellow youngsters, who had not done anything wrong. It was just _sick_. Cross smiled darkly both at the irony and the fact that he saw the now burning building in front of him. Ignoring the shouts of his fellow citizens, the old man ran inside the house in surprisingly good fitness and laughed madly as he felt the burning sensation wrap around himself.

_Take that, motherfuckers._

* * *

"Kanda!" Allen yelled his friend's name as he knocked on the door. He had been knocking for a while and he still had not gotten any kind of answering. It was beginning to weird him out. Kanda had never shut him out, not once. Sure, Allen did that in some way… He had locked his door and not let Kanda in his home when he had been sick, but he had still answered him and talked through the closed door.

But now, Kanda didn't even answer him!

"Kanda!" the man called his friend again and knocked the door harder. No answer again. The brown-haired male was starting to get frustrated. What was wrong with Kanda?! Suddenly, Cross' words played again in his mind, the words of 'too bad, too bad'… He couldn't have meant that Kanda was…

His best friend just couldn't be dead!

"Kanda, I'm coming in whether you like it or not!" Allen finally yelled in slight panic and tried to push the door open. It wouldn't budge. He tried to throw himself against it, but it was no use. For a while he tried and the door still stayed closed. He huffed angrily. What the heck was wrong with this door? In his anger, Allen accidentally pushed down the door handle and a small 'click'-like sound was heard…

The door opened as it had never been locked.

Allen flushed red in embarrassment. Just his luck, he thought. Quietly, he opened the door more, and stepped in. The room was just like he remembered… A table, some chairs and a painting. Kanda had never been a person, who loved the comfort of different textiles or carpets or any colors… No, his house had always been pretty stark and bare, only the needed things were there and nothing more.

Just like Kanda. His words were never sugarcoated nor did he use words that some might've called 'big'. He was… He was… He was just Kanda. There was no other way to describe him.

Allen turned to the left from the front door and opened a door to a small kitchen-like room. No, Kanda wasn't here… Strange, it was midday… Usually his best friend would be making food for himself near these times. He then returned to the other room and went to right, where were another door. To Kanda's bedroom. Allen flushed as he remembered the last time he had went to that room… He had interrupted Kanda's 'dressing time' and had ended up seeing him nearly naked.

The brown-haired boy resembled a tomato for a moment. That had been the moment, when he had started to see his friend in a new light. That body, everything they shared, his hair, and the memories from all the years they had known… They had all packed into one simple package that was called 'you-have-just-fallen-in-love-with-your's-best-friend-maggot!'

Indeed, Allen had fallen in love with Kanda a few months back. He had been planning to confess soon too, but… Then the plague had attacked the city and he had not had a chance. Too busy being sick and after surviving, getting better. And not letting Kanda catch the illness too. Can't forget about that.

The boy knocked on the door slightly. He didn't hear anything, so he opened the door. It was dark in there as it was the only room without any windows. It had meant to be some kind of storage, but Kanda had decided to make it his bedroom… Being the creature of darkness he was. Allen looked around as some light poured into the room from the door and noticed a small pile of cloths and a blanket on the bed… And also a figure under the blanket. The man tilted his head as he looked the figure. Kanda… Or Allen thought it was him, since he was the only one who could sleep in that small room without getting claustrophobia from spending a night there… was curled up in a ball-like position, which made Allen really wonder if he was alright.

"Kanda?" he called the other man softly, almost unsurely. He saw the figure move slightly, so little that Allen nearly didn't see it. The man gave a small smile and went to sit on the bed.

"Kanda? I know you can hear me…" he whispered and nudged the blanket. Kanda chose to ignore him and Allen sighed.

"I know you're awake too, Kanda. Mr. Cross told me to come here as fast as I could… Though I would've come even if he hadn't said anything. But he got me worried. Are you alright?" he nudged the figure again, who growled in return.

"…Go away, Allen." The grumpy voice demanded and the blankets were pulled closer the figure's body. Suddenly, Kanda's grip on the cover loosened. "Wait, Al? What the fuck are you doing here?! I thought you were sick with the plague!"

"Well, I was… But I've finally been cured from the frigging decease! I don't know what happened, but… I… I still live. Most of the blains have already gone away and… And… I live." The man shrugged, not having the words to describe the whole thing. One day, he had felt sicker than ever and the next day he was almost fine. Well, in a very tired, but somehow healthy way.

It just happened.

"Oh…" the person under the blanket muttered, but didn't get up and only continued with disbelief evident in his voice. It was like he didn't believe Allen. "Well, good for you. Now, leave." Allen stared at his friend with unbelieving expression.

"Leave? After I'm healthy again and came here to greet you? _Leave_? Kanda, what the heck is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing. Leave."

"No, Kanda, I won't. Not until you tell me."

"Just leave me alone, you fucking idiot!"

"Why won't you face me?"

"Leave."

"No."

"Leave!"

"No!"

"LEAVE!"

"NO!"

"WHY NOT?!"

"BECAUSE I FRIGGING CARE ABOUT YOU, YOU DAMN IDIOT!"

"WELL I DON'T! LEAVE!"

Allen didn't say that those words didn't hurt him a bit, since they did, but he knew that Kanda didn't mean them. If he had, then Allen wouldn't be here anymore. He would've already been thrown outside or they would've never even become friends in the first place. Still, sometimes he wondered, really wondered, why he had fallen in love with _this_ idiot. The man sighed and sat on the bed.

"Well, I don't care. I'll just sit here then. I'll sit here so long that you finally give up and tell me what's wrong. It's not like you're going to die, you know."

"Die?" a cold laugh came from under the blanket. "_Die_? I wouldn't die?" Allen blinked in surprise.

"Kanda?"

"Well, here I show you who is going to die!" the blanket was thrown off and Allen's eyes widened in shock.

"No…" he whispered. It… Just couldn't true. No, it couldn't…

But it was… And here he was, staring into the man he loved, looking as plagued as he had only a few days ago… And in a much worse condition. Eyes cold, skin pale… Full of worse-looking blains than Allen had had…

Oh god, Kanda was going to die…

* * *

Five days from the day Allen had first seen Kanda in that condition, the two were sitting in the _playground_ Allen had seen the first day. The two were holding hands, looking as the sun's last rays left the ground, giving in as the moon and the darkness took their places in the city. Such a beautiful night it was; such a great moon in the sky… Such sadness lying around the air.

"Remember that tree?" Allen pointed at a tall tree near them. His friend nodded slowly and tiredly. The illness had taken its toll on him… If Allen had met Kanda in the street and didn't know about his condition… The man wasn't sure if he could recognize his friend. Also, Kanda had been more depressed than even Allen had been while he was sick. The dark-haired man, an aspiring doctor, couldn't help anyone with his skills… Not even himself. It was like someone from the upper, or lower, side was mocking him… Telling him to just give up and die already.

Well, Kanda hadn't given up… At least when he had truly started to believe that Allen had survived. He had done a few tests using the man's blood, with Allen permission of course, hoping that he could find a cure… But hadn't. No one was there to smile for him, no luck was given. Nothing at all.

The results had been worth of an empty basket full of air.

"It was the place we first met." Allen smiled softly. "I fell from it… And you accidentally were under me when I did. You yelled at me like no end and I broke out in tears. It… Was a pretty bad start, wasn't it?"

"Hmm…" Kanda hummed as Allen rested his head on his shoulder. It was really comfortable shoulder, the younger man thought. He wasn't afraid of the plague anymore, since he hadn't caught it again and if he hadn't, then he probably wouldn't. It wasn't like he cared anyway… Not anymore.

"I can't believe we became so close friends… Especially since we definitely are not the match made in heaven." Allen gave a short laugh. "We bicker, we fight, we argue… We do everything other people would consider as hating each other..."

"…And look at us now." Kanda finished for him and Allen nodded.

"Yeah… Look at us now."

A silence fell around them as they stared at the night sky. It was clear, clearer than anything at the moment. People were still dying from the plague, but the numbers seemed smaller… Maybe it was because already half the population had died. It was a bad situation for everyone… There was no one to take care of their common benefits or even their fields outside the town.

It was a common fear that they would die with their city.

"Kanda…"

"Hmm?"

"You know that… That…" Allen flushed a bit. "…I love you, right?"

"Hmm…" the sick man kissed Allen lightly on top of his hair. "I know, I know…"

"Good…" the man smiled and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately. Kanda stared at the sky for a while before closing his eyes too. He felt so tired… So tired to be live, so tired to even bother to breath…

"…And I love you…"

* * *

After two months, the city was almost starting to recover, but still… Over half of the population was gone. Actually, it was nearly three of four quarters that had died because of the plague… And most parts of the city had been burned with the bodies, since no one wanted to get sick again.

But, no contagion had been found in two weeks. Not one, so many were hopeful that the decease had moved. They all knew that they would live in the fear of the plague returning, but they had to continue their lives. Even Allen did so.

The man had helped the town recover, being part of the 'pyromaniac-group' that other people called them… Burning the bodies and houses. It was for the town, but Allen felt sorry as he had to take the corpses from the relatives to burn them…

But it had to be done.

Returning home yet again after a wearing day, Allen sighed as he watched the empty room. Taking of his coat, which he had to wear as the days were getting colder, and shoes, he moved towards his bedroom without even glancing at the kitchen. Opening the door, he almost ran to the bed and sat on the edge of it, only to roll to the other side of it. He glanced at the picture near the bed and smiled. It was a sketch a friend of theirs had made about them, Allen and Kanda… from Noise Marie, Allen recalled. The man had died too, only a month ago.

"Kanda, I had quite a tiring day today too… I had to burn even more things… It's almost depressing at how much our town is already destroyed. And the winters coming, so it'll be hard to survive… But we can't go south, east or west because the plague still runs wildly there… And north, it would be only colder. So we have to stay.

"I don't know how we'll get enough food for our whole city to survive… It's been so hard and we have no idea if the plague moved through food or what… Perhaps through the travelers and their goods, that's what most of us suspect.

"Hmm, what else… Oh, you know Reever? Well, today he found a rotten apple from the underneath his bed… Quite icky, isn't it? And he said…"

"Aren't you a bit too mature to say 'icky'? It sounds so childish." Allen lifted his eyes from the sketch and shrugged.

"Never too old to do something… Besides, who are you saying anything? You are the one, who always picks on their food."

"Che… At least I save people by curing most of their illnesses. Unlike you, you little pyromaniac… But I absolutely hate those men, who are calling us names behind our backs. I would give them a broken nose, but I know I would have to fix them, so I can't be bothered." Allen smiled and felt as the pair of arms sneaked around him. He snuggled closer to the warm body and sighed happily.

"Give them their fun, love… They are just jealous."

"Of what?"

"Your skills, for example. Your looks. Your eyes. Your hair. Your job. Your…"

"…Lover?"

"…I wouldn't say they are jealous of me. After all, they seem to be more on the side of 'gay-haters'."

"I would. They hate us, because they want you." The slightly jealous tone of his lover made Allen chuckle.

"I don't know whether I should take that as a compliment or not."

"Take it however you like…" Kanda then proceeded to turn Allen around and smirked. The man flushed red as he saw the passionate, and a bit lustful, gaze. "…But _I'm_ going to take you _right now_."

For some reason, Allen couldn't find any reason to protest.

He was happy to be alive.

* * *

When I started to research on Black Death, I found many theories about it. Some think it was caused by a bacterium named Yersinia pestis (plague), but recently it has been found that it might have been some other disease. In this, I tried to ignore the latter information. I won't list what I found out, since there's just too much data... By the way, I love researching, since I get to know things. Black Death has always interested me. I still remember those times, when I was a little kid and would try to find as much info about the plague as I could.

Anyway, I didn't find any records of people surviving from the plague, so this is very much AU then. For the first time, I might've changed history even more than just adding characters... Since Allen survived. It was a miracle, yes... But I think these kinds of miracles could've happened during the time, when the plague roamed around. After all, still so many people stayed alive after the plague "died". The reason Kanda stayed alive was, that when he did a few experiments with Allen's blood (and used them on himself), he gained something that helped Allen to survive: be it some kind of immunity against the plague or not... I don't know. I'm not an expert; I'm only a fanfic writer and I make mistakes.

I hope you enjoyed,

Chiyon Shi.

PS. My shortest one shot yet!


	6. Renaissance, around 1500 AD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own DGM.

**Summary:** Even as a child, Yu had been the spare piece of a very big puzzle... And he had never found his place within the Tiedoll family. Then came in the steam and with it, the traveling performers... Around 1500 AD. For Yullen Week.

**Pairing:** KandaAllen.

**Warnings:** Evil mother? Simple kiss :D

* * *

**The Beginning of Renaissance, around 1500 AD**

Yu's morning had started relatively well. He had woken up early and alert even as the sun rose, when usually he would be still be sleeping through the crowing of their rooster. He had had big breakfast with his whole family as they all had been still at home. His mother and father, both of them, were nice and warm peasants… Who had went a lot through in raising five sons and three daughters. Most of the children worked in the farm, helping their father and mother since they still didn't have their own families. Yu's oldest sister had gotten married already, but otherwise they all lived at home.

Sure, Yu hated his family most of the time… They were annoying, pesky and irritating, always putting their noses in other people's business and giving their own opinion even when it wasn't needed… And, well, they were all named 'Tiedoll'. Did it explain the situation enough? Tiedoll… It even gave an aura of annoyance to everyone… But fortunately he had learned to avoid the contact mostly, so they bickered around each other, leaving Yu out usually.

He was the fourth son, in his fourteenth year, and oddly enough, Yu usually found himself blend into the background as his older brothers were helping their father and his mother was busying around the house with his younger brother and two sisters. The reason? Well, his mother said that he was not old enough to be on his own, that he was too young to move into the world outside or work in the farm… And of course, his father did as the matriarch of the Tiedoll family said.

Talk about a whipped man.

Anyway, Yu had never fought against that view of his mother's. Why should he, when he could be free from all kinds of duties, even think about complaining? That's right, no reason.

Still, Yu had often noted that he was like a spare piece of a puzzle… Not needed to complete it, but needed if one of them was lost. It didn't bother him much though… He was more like a loner than a social person. All of these arrangements also gave him lots of time to wander around and practice with things that really interested him: swords.

Swords had always fascinated the young, or not so young anymore, boy. And besides, he was fourteen, even though his parents treated him like he was ten, which made him angry sometimes, but as he remembered all the free time he got… Or rather, how much time he could have away from his family... Well… He stayed quiet. His parents didn't understand his interest in the 'pointy things' like they liked to call them… And Yu didn't understand their disinterest in them.

Swords… They were on completely another level. So strong, so powerful, so severe, so… So… _Fierce_, all of these in a piece of metal in a shape of a sword… A beautiful piece that was only misused by the humankind. It wasn't something people should fear, only learn to use in the right way.

"The right way…" the boy mused out loud as he walked along the familiar road that led to a hill, where he could see miles ahead over the valleys that surrounded it and the view. He loved to sit under a tree on top of that hill and just stare into the remoteness… And dream about the adventures that he could have if he just could leave his home…

Yu suddenly noticed a strange mist coming behind the hill he was climbing. But… A mist? In the middle of the sunniest day in a few weeks? That couldn't be. Curiously, Yu quickly ran up the last bit of the hill and looked at the valley in front of him... And his mouth fell.

The whole valley… Was completely filled with mist. Nothing else around was hidden by the mist, only that one valley… Yu frowned and reached to 'touch' the mist… Only to notice that it felt slightly… Warm. And a mist didn't feel warm.

"…_Steam_, then?" the boy's frown deepened and he shook his head. How could here be so much _steam_ to cover a whole frigging valley? It just wasn't possible. He stared into the quite thick _steam_ and could separate a few darker shades in the fog. Yu then started to get down towards the thicker fog, closer to the figures. Maybe they would know what the heck was going on.

And they did, as Yu would soon find out.

"Too much _steam_, just too much fucking _steam_! Johnny, if you _really_ want to do your experiments then be _careful_, you little fuck! Or wait until the carriages will finally stop! Did you really think that you could do your tricks when the fucking wagons were moving?!" a strong woman's voice echoed from the direction of the figures, so Yu expected that one of the two shapes was the woman. And indeed, the other shape started to inch away from the yeller.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Cloud!" a male voice wailed. "I thought I had calculated everything right and we weren't going that fast, so I didn't think it would've been a bother and if I had gotten it done tonight then we could've used it in our next show and my numbers have never failed me like this before and you know it, Miss Cloud and…"

_Fucking steam_… Yu thought as he walked down in the fog, barely seeing where he was going. He aimed to the two figures, the only sounds he heard at the moment, so at least he knew what way to orient to.

"You're sorry?! We can't even see here anything! Besides, it's fucking hot here because of the _steam_! Think about out horses a little, Johnny!"

"It was only a small mistake! I promise that it won't happen again and…!"

"Small?! I'll show you something small, you little…!"

"Aunt." A new voice stopped the fight, that would've included probably a beating too, and Yu saw a person stepping between the two figures. It was a boy, maybe his age or younger, Yu noted as he analyzed it quickly. Becoming even more curious, Yu walked even closer to the voices. "Don't use such threats. It was only a mistake and we all make them." The unknown boy said smartly as he stared into his 'aunt's' eyes.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child, brat!" the annoyed voice of the woman snapped back, but the boy's figure shook his head.

"Stop acting like one of them then, Aunt Cloud. You don't yell like that to Zokalo when he screws up, so why to Johnny? Besides, it's not like the _steam_ stays forever. It'll go away soon, right Johnny?"

"Well… It should go away in an hour. I messed up with the amount of substances, so it'll stay a bit longer than I intended…" the man kept stammering and the boy in turn placed his hand on his shoulder, calming that 'Johnny' down.

"But it'll go away?" the boy questioned and the older man nodded.

"Yes… And nothing should affect the nature either, since it's only _steam_…"

"Hear that, Cloud. It goes away in an hour and then nothing's wrong again. Let's take a break now that we have stopped; our horses haven't had a peaceful moment in a few hours… And besides, this fog isn't hot enough to harm the animals. You're just overreacting." The boy seemed to use logic against the woman, who sighed and raised her hands to tell that she gave up.

"You're too mature for a fourteen-year-old kid, Allen." As Yu was now closer, he could see a few features of the three people. For example, that Johnny wasn't very tall man; only a few inches taller than Yu himself was. Cloud was surprisingly tall for a woman and that Allen… Well… He wasn't that tall either.

"It happens, Aunt." Allen shrugged and turned momentarily look at Yu's direction before turning back to his aunt. The other boy blinked. Had he been seen?

"Shit happens, brat." The woman ruffled Allen's hair, or so it seemed to Yu, while the other boy growled in displeasure.

"Stop always doing that, Aunt! You're almost as bad as my mother was!"

"She was my sister, idiot; of course we resemble each other." Cloud turned to look at the third person in their group. "Alright, Johnny! You're off the hook now. Thank my darling Allen for that and _next time_ warn us or check _everything_ twice, or rather, _three times_. And _wait_ until we have stopped to rest!" Ruffling Allen's hair one last time, the woman turned on her heels and walked away. Johnny thanked the boy many times, before hurrying after Cloud.

Allen smiled to himself before turning back to the intruder. He could only see a taller shape at the moment, but he could tell it was a male… Even if he had long hair. Yu, on the other hand, saw the boy's shoulder-length hair and… Could he see a smile in this fog?

"And who might _you_ be? A bandit perhaps? If that's the case, then too bad for you… I'm prepared for the likes of you." Yu could see the boy taking out something from his boots, two of them, and he immediately knew what they were: daggers.

"I'm not a bandit, dimwit. If I was one, don't you think I would already have my weapon exposed?" he raised both of his hands to show that he really didn't have any weapons. His sword, which he had found from their house's attic, lied forgotten under his bed. For once, Yu actually didn't curse leaving it at home.

Who knows if the boy would believe him if he had that weapon.

"Right… Then what the heck are you doing here? Curious about the _steam_?" there was still a disbelieving tone on the boy's voice, but he lowered his daggers a bit. Yu shrugged, lowering his arms too.

"You could say that." The boy sighed.

"I guess I'll believe you then, since I would be curious about it too… Does it reach far away from here?" Allen rolled his weapons around twice before swiftly putting them back to their hiding place. Yu admired the grace the other one had with his small blades.

"I don't think so. This valley is deeper than most others, so the hillsides hide most of it. I was near here, so I saw, but if someone else was further away, I doubt they would." The boy nodded.

"Alright, that's good them. May I introduce myself? I'm Allen."

"I know. I overheard that quarrel you had here a moment ago."

"Ah… How unfortunate. I hope you won't think of us any less because of it."

"No. It just reminded me of my home." The boy gave a short laugh and nodded.

"I know, what you mean. That's quite usual here too, bickering I mean."

"Hn…" Yu silently wondered why he was talking this much. It was so atypical of him.

"You're from here?" Allen asked again, after realizing that the other one wasn't going to answer. Yu snorted inwardly. Apparently the boy liked to talk.

"A few hills away. You aren't, are you?"

"No, I and the rest of us are travelers. Traveling performers, more specifically said." Yu arched his eyebrow curiously. There was one thing he cursed: his curiosity. It was almost the only thing that he and his siblings had in common; expect their biological parents, that is.

"Performers…?" the boy gave another short laugh and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, some of us are… For example, I'm only learning to do the tricks. Cloud… you know, the woman you probably saw?" Yu nodded. "Well, she's a clairvoyant."

Again, Yu arched his eyebrow.

"She's really good with her job… Most of her predictions are correct, but some have been more than slightly off… Mostly when she has touched alcohol. She's a drunkard, I tell you. She and our swordsman, Zokalo, have drinking contests sometimes. Then we have Johnny, who's our magician… And inventor. He just loves to invent new things, but… You saw how his new experiment ended up as, so you can probably tell how good he actually is." Yu snorted again, this time out loud. Allen smiled again.

"We also have a few others, like an old puppeteer, who learning to replace… Aunt Cloud isn't that happy about it, since she thinks I have a better 'inner eye' than skills for a puppeteer, but… I love puppets."

"You like controlling things?"

"Well… Maybe you can call them that. And puppets won't spit on your face, leave you or… Die." Allen sighed. "And like you suggested, they follow my every command."

"That they do… But why the hell are you telling me these things? You don't even know my name!" Allen shrugged.

"Well, I don't know… Maybe my 'inner eye' deemed you worth knowing these details about me? Besides, it's not my fault I don't know your name. I introduced myself and thought that you would've been also polite and told me your name… But no avail. You're a rude person, do you know that?"

"Che… My name's Yu."

"Only Yu?"

"You didn't say your last name either."

"It's Nine nowadays. I took my Aunt's last name, when my parents died."

"Should I say 'sorry for your loss' right now?"

"No; not if you don't feel that way."

"Good, because I don't. Why should I? I never knew them and I barely even know you." Allen stared at him for a moment before barking a laugh.

"Rude and honest! That's not so good combination sometimes, but I like you! I'm sure you would come greatly along with Zokalo; both so rude that no one wants to believe it and honest to boot!"

"Laugh at me, then, and I'll kick your ass."

"Even the same manner of speech!" the boy wiped his eyes. "Haha, too much… What did you say your last name was?"

"I didn't."

"Yu 'I didn't'? Nice name, Mr. 'I didn't'."

"Che… It's Tiedoll…"

"…Tiedoll?"

Yu only grunted in agreement, before Allen burst into another laughing fit.

"…You aren't so well-mannered either, _rude boy_." Yu snarled.

"I- I'm sorry!" Allen gasped for air. "It's just that… That… 'Yu Tiedoll'?! What the fuck were your parents on when they named you, because I want to taste _that_ stuff!"

"Allen Nine doesn't sound very nice to ears either!"

"But it sounds better than Yu Tiedoll!"

"Che… Anything sounds better than Tiedoll…" Yu muttered.

"Ahaha… True." Allen gave the other boy a big grin, which couldn't be seen that well because of the _steam_ that was still there. "Are you hungry?" Yu blinked at the sudden question, his anger forgotten.

"Excuse me?"

"I asked you if you were hungry."

"…How come?"

"Just answer the question."

"…"

"…"  
"…A little?"

"What's with the questioning tone?"

"Alright, I am a bit hungry. Happy now?"

"Very." Allen grinned again and suddenly took Yu's hand to his own. "Then I can get an excuse to take you further into our camp!" and then, he proceeded to drag the poor boy towards the fire someone had lighted. Why? Well, it was well past midday and the travelers hadn't eaten anything since early morning.

"Why the heck?!"

"To feed you, why else?" the boy smiled as they came closer to the fire. It seemed that the fog was somehow thinner around it, even though Yu knew how odd might've it sounded like. That also meant that he could see better and that meant that he finally saw what the other boy looked like. Allen had shoulder-length light brown hair and slightly darker skin than Yu himself had. Yu somehow suspected that Allen's eyes were blue, but he couldn't say that for sure. He noticed the people around the fire too; there was that Cloud, strong blond woman and Johnny… And then a man with a sword, that Yu had to admire… That must've been Zokalo Allen had mentioned. There were also other people, but Yu didn't deem them worth his attention.

"Hey, everyone! Can I introduce you my new friend?" Allen stopped in front of the group, who all turned to look at the two fourteen-year-olds. Immediately Yu wanted to take a step back; he hated attention.

"Oh? Who might he be?" Cloud asked, with gentler voice than she had used against Johnny.

"Yu Tiedoll!"

"…Tiedoll?" the woman questioned and Zokalo lifted his head too. Yu grunted in agreement. The two older people looked at each other.

"Tiedoll… Is that you father's name?"

"…Yes. Why do you ask?!"

"Shush, Yu. Don't be impolite."

"His first name is Froi, isn't it?" Zokalo grunted and the dark-haired boy nodded.

"Ah, so we are at this part of the country…" Cloud mused out loud.

"Do you know Yu's father, Aunt?" Allen asked, tilting his head. From his side Yu could see that he had been right about the other boy's eye color; it was blue.

"Oh yes, he was our friend once upon a time, but after he married that wench… Sorry, you mother, he changed. She loathed people like us two, so Froi started to scorn us too. A whipped man, he was, and I won't say it wasn't unexpected… After all, the woman was his first love." The blond woman explained, shrugging. "I hope you won't use it against us."

"…Father hates someone?" Yu had to blink. He had never seen him even use a bad word against someone and now these people claimed he scorned them? "Why would he?"

"You don't know? Can't you see us?"

"I don't see anything special in you." the boy said bluntly and Allen snickered. Cloud gave the two a small smile.

"Oh… Then you must be the odd one in the Tiedoll family."

"I guess. What makes you so special then?" the two didn't answer, but only started to gather food to their plates as it was ready. Yu turned to Allen, who shrugged like his Aunt had done.

"Our inheritance."

"…Which is?"

"Curious, aren't you?"

"Hn…"

"Well, you'll see later after the fog clears. Now, food? Allen thrusted a plate full of food into Yu's hands and grinned. "Eat! Dig in!" he cheered before getting his own plate and doing what he himself suggested; dug in. Yu stared at his new 'friend' before turning to his plate. He had actually no idea what the food was, but its scent made his mouth water… So, he followed suit for once in his life.

And the food was as delicious as the scent had been… And when they finished eating the fog had cleared even more.

Not enough for Yu to see, why his father hated Allen and his kind, but still enough for them to actually start seeing around.

"So, Yu…" Allen smiled as he noticed the other boy admire Zokalo's sword again. "Do you like swords?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well… I just wanted to have a conversation with you… You're my first friend around my age in a long time so…" he added a bit shyly. Yu sighed and gave in.

"Yes, I like swords. I've always does and always will, even though my parents won't approve them."

"Hmph, Froi never understood the beauty of a sword…" Zokalo muttered and Yu nodded.

"I know. Sword isn't necessary a bad weapon; it is how humans use them that makes them bad. If they are used to save lives, then who calls them bad? No one." the older man looked at the boy.

"Is that your opinion?"

"Yes…?"

"Haha, Zokalo! You've found your soul mate! Why don't you two now go and kiss and live happily ever after?!" Cloud yelled, slight flush on her face. Allen and the rest of the group, excluding Yu and Zokalo, sighed. The blond woman had again taken too much alcohol… And it wasn't even evening yet!

"Shut your trap, bitch!" Zokalo yelled back, throwing a dagger at the woman, who only fell back from her seat.

"Ha! Missed me, bastard!" she howled, laughing all the while. Zokalo growled before jumping after Cloud, taking his big sword out of its sheath and attacked. The woman evaded, still laughing, taking her own twin daggers out too and soon the two were in the midst of a small battle. Other traveling performers were cheering on them and throwing bets into the air for the winner. In excitement, Allen took hold of Yu's hand while he cheered with his friends.

Yu stared at the scene, shocked at how the people were so at easy with each other. At Tiedoll's house, there was always some kind of awkwardness: his mother was bossy and ended up usually angering at least one of the children… And since their father was too in love with her, he didn't raise a hand against her. He usually said that it was a code of conduct for a gentleman, but Yu usually called it cowardice.

He admitted that his mother could be scary, when you saw her full wrath… And he also wondered why his father fell for her. Poor Froi Tiedoll…

Suddenly Yu saw… He saw. The last thin veil of the _steam_ disappeared into the heavens and he saw. And he understood why his mother hated these people… But he could see why his father turned his back on them… His friends from the past…

But he couldn't do so himself. He had seen them behind the mask people made them wear and what he had seen wasn't the same thing… So blind, the people here… So foolish, so narrow-minded.

"Oh, the fog cleared already? Shall we start moving again?" Cloud asked as she evaded another one of Zokalo's attacks and sheathed her daggers. The man nodded, putting away his own weapons and starting to yell at people to get to work. Yu stared as the camp was packed in a matter of moments… And Allen turned to him, smiling a bit sadder.

"Yu… We can drive you home if you want?" he offered, probably thinking that otherwise they wouldn't see each other again. Yu snorted, but nodded. Even if he didn't admit it, he did feel slightly… Wistful. When the fight had been going on, he had barely registered Allen's hand… But after the boy had removed it to help with the packing, he had felt a small longing to feel the warmth again. The feeling of having a family that the boy didn't have with his own relatives. Sure, they were all bound by blood, but… Yu was the spare piece of the puzzle.

He didn't fit.

"Oi, dreamer boy!" the blond woman called him and Yu returned to reality, staring at the hand he was offered. "Jump in and we'll drag you back to that wench and Froi!" After a moment, Yu took it and he was pulled into a carriage, right next to Allen.

"Are… You don't hate us… Right?" the brown-haired boy asked and it took Yu a small while to understand what he meant. When he did, he ruffled the shorter one's hair and turned to look as Zokalo, their driver, urged their horses into a slow gait. Allen gave a small glare at Yu, but then he smiled.

He didn't care after all.

They traveled past a few hills, asking Yu from directions when needed. Allen kept a comfortable conversation going on and even Yu smiled a bit when someone cracked a joke. This feeling of warmth of a family… He was glad that at least someone had it.

Soon, they arrived at the Tiedoll farm and saw three strong men and one older man working on the fields. When they noticed the carriages, the boys let their father know. Froi turned to look at the road, his eyes widening as he recognized the people in them. He said something quickly to his sons and after only a second they were all running towards the house in the middle of their field, at the end of the road.

Allen almost clung on Yu's arm as if he didn't want to let go. It was surprising to the other boy, since no one else had ever wanted to be his friend that much… Or even hold his hand. His mother had always been busy with other children, so Yu had almost never even had time to have a talk with her, even when he had been younger.

"Yu!" his father called him as their carriage reached the house. Others had stayed behind, but Zokalo, Cloud, Allen and Yu had come forth. "What are you doing with these kinds of people?"

"Good to see you too, Froi." Cloud greeted dryly. "I see you're well."

"Cloud… Zokalo…" the man then followed the example and greeted them reluctantly, "Yu, come down from the carriage and away from those people. They are bad and you shouldn't hang around with them."

"Why are you saying they are 'bad'?" the boy asked, not moving from his seat. "All I've seen them do is live the way they want to. Is that bad to you, father?"

"No… But your mother…"

"She's narrow-minded, father. Different skin color and heritage isn't a reason to scorn people… It's like you would scorn hunters and be polite to other farmers, expect that those are people's own choices. The things I mentioned aren't, so why should we scorn them for those?"

"Son! You do not talk to your father like that!"

"Ah, Froi… What a wonderful kid you have. He sounds a bit like you when you were little, don't you think?"

"Leave me alone, Cloud… You should all leave before my wife comes back… She'll…"

"Talk about a whipped man. Do you really believe that wench scares us? If you do, then I wonder where's our Froi, who knew us when we were kids. Actually, I'm still wondering it."

"Yu! Come down right now!"

"What's all the common around here?" a clear woman's voice asked and they all heard a door slamming shut. They also heard a gasp and could see the woman lighting into fire in rage.

"Yu… What are you doing in those carriages?" the woman asked with a terrifyingly angry voice. Yu stared at her for a moment before sighing… He knew he wasn't going to get away from this one… And so seemed to think one of his brothers. Marie was already walking to the direction their mother had come, shaking his head in his thoughts.

"I got a ride to home from my trip from these kind people." Yu just stated as he stared into his mother's angry eyes. They didn't promise anything good.

"Do you know what those people are, Yu?!"

"Yes…" the boy replied slowly.

"Then why in the nine hells are you near them?!"

"Mother, there's no reason for me not to be."

"There isn't?! Froi, tell him!"

"Tell him what?" her husband asked calmly, in a way that told that he had already given in for something.

"How bad those… Those… _People_ are!"

"…At least she still acknowledges us as people… Who would've thought?" Cloud murmured in Zokalo's ear. The man only nodded. Froi stared at his wife sadly.

"Wife, they…"

"If you aren't going to, then I am! Yu, these people are murderers! They murdered our fellow villagers and murder every time they stop at somewhere! They are serial killers! They…!" the woman started to rant about how horrible the traveling performers were, making both Cloud and Zokalo shake their heads. They pitied Froi, who had made a wrong decision in falling in love with the woman's beauty and not looking what the looks hid.

Allen, on the other hand, was in tears. It wasn't his first time hearing these kinds of things, but this… This was Yu's mother! Surely his new friend would hate him too now that his mother had started to badmouth them. Yu noticed the tears and gave his mother cold glare.

"You shouldn't badmouth people you don't know, mother." He just stated and Allen raised his head to look at Yu. The older teenager took Allen's hand on his own and squeezed it. The boy gave a small smile and squeezed back, feeling reassured. Yu's mother on the other hand was furious.

"YU! Do you REALLY want to go against me?! Do you really THINK like that?!"

"I… Do." the dark-haired boy said, for once not closing his own opinion into his mind and spoke it out loud.

"Yu… You…" she glared. "If you really don't take your words back now… Then you are NOT MY SON!"

Silence fell into the area, all of the people being shocked about the words. Most of them couldn't believe what the woman just said, not even Yu. He had expected his mother to get angry but… To deny him being her child? That…. That was…

"…Cruel…" Allen whispered, holding absolutely no respect for the woman anymore. Even Yu's siblings were looking shocked at the scene, not believing what their mother had just said. Froi just shook his head sadly. He had known about his wife's vices after they had married and didn't want to humiliate her by leaving her… So he had tried to be as happy with her as he could. And he had been happy, very happy indeed…

Behind his cruel words for his friends and his son… had only been an old man, who had wanted to protect his son from this side of their mother…

"Yu!" Marie shouted from… Yu's room's window? What did he do there?

"…Marie?" the teenager questioned and his older brother smiled.

"Catch!" the man threw something out of the window, straight at Yu. The said boy tried to catch it like his brother told him to, but the throw was too short. Zokalo smirked and suddenly urged the horses forward. They did, very fast so. Cloud, who had a grip on Zokalo's arm, didn't budge, but Allen and Yu did. Both of them fell backwards and disappeared behind the edges, so that no one could see them…

Later, they were glad no one did…

At first they didn't understand what was going on, both of them just shocked about what had just happened. Only when they started to move, they realized the position they were and when they did… They froze. Yu stared into Allen's blue eyes and Allen into dark orbs. When the thing that Marie threw hit the carriage, the two collided…

And their lips locked together.

It was short and not so sweet experience for both of them. Their teeth hit together, Yu's weight almost crushed Allen and neither of them had ever kissed anyone else. They quickly got up and both of them had slightly flushed expression on their faces… But no one else noticed, since they were staring at Marie, who just smiled slightly on the window.

"I trust you to take good care of Yu, dear fellows!" he yelled, still smiling. "He's my darling little brother and I would hate to see him suffering!" the said boy just stared at his brother, almost gaping. Had he just done what he thought he had…?

"Marie, you…!" Apparently he had. His mother looked downright shocked and clearly had not thought that something like this could happen. His father, on the other hand, went next to the horses and stared long into the eyes of his former friends.

"Take care of him." He just stated before hitting the horses on their croups and quickly stepping away before the animals could run over him. Zokalo on grinned as the carriage went past the man and as the house got left behind.

Yu stared at his alienating former life and he suddenly knew, what was in the bag that Marie threw him; his clothes, his things, his sword… Everything that he would need or miss when he finally left home. They, both his father and Marie, had given him what he had kind of wanted his whole life; freedom. But he didn't know if it was a good thing or bad thing… This, after all, was one big step in his life.

"Yu…" Allen nudged the boy's arm. The dark-haired boy turned to look at his friend and gave a small nod. Neither of them knew what it meant, but it reassured them both. Yu almost smiled inwardly.

At least he wasn't alone.

"So, boy…" Cloud turned to look at the two fourteen-year-olds. "It seems that now you're a part of our crew. Is that fine with you?" Yu stared at the woman a moment before nodding again.

"I don't really return now, can I?" he asked dryly and took the bag from the woman as she offered him it. "If you only let me in, then why not?"

"Ha! That's the attitude, boy! Maybe Allen now gets a friend he has always wanted, eh…?" the blond woman used a suggestive tone that clearly indicated something dirty. Both boys flushed and Allen cried out: "Aunt!"

"Kidding, kidding! What did you boys think I meant?" she smirked, before winking. "There's only a small problem… The 'Tiedoll' name doesn't fit our little crew. Not that I mean anything bad, but some might think we've kidnapped you…"

"But I don't know any other name to use for…" Yu started, before he was interrupted.

"Kanda." Allen stated quickly. Both Cloud and the other boy turned to look at him. "You can use the 'Kanda' name…"

"Are you sure, honey? If I remember right, 'Kanda' was your late father's name…" the brown-haired boy smiled softly.

"You can use it… My father's clan has disappeared along the time and since I'm now a 'Nine'… You can take it. 'Kanda' was… And is… A respected name around our people." Yu thought it a bit.

"Yu Kanda… Kanda Yu…"

"Huh, it seems to fit… At least much better than Allen Kanda." Cloud laughed and Allen flushed.

"Well, sorry for having the name 'Allen'!"

"I… like it." This time, Yu did smile outwards. Allen smiled back at him and offered his hand. Yu took it on his own and they shook them. The two elders grinned at each other.

"Welcome to the gypsies, Yu."

* * *

I guess I like this one shot the least... Not because I think it's bad, just because of how hard it was to write for me. I don't know why, but it felt like I was dragging around a rock that weighted five stones... Not a fun feeling, I tell you. I still like it enough to post it (since I would NEVER post a fic, I didn't like; I may not be completely satisfied with them, but I like them) and besides... It was a lot more lighthearted than some of the previous ones, even if Kanda's mom was a bitch (you can take her as an OC or as a DGM character, whose name I just didn't reveal you, since I won't tell you, who I used as a model for her).

And I have NOTHING against gypsies. I just know that some people were, and still are, racists. Sorry, if I offended anyone.

I hope you enjoyed!

Chiyon Shi.

PS. I should be writing, but instead I've been watching anime whole day. Believe it or not, I've watched over 20 episodes. It's slowly getting to me, that I have to write whole night the last, STILL unfinished one shot xD Oh well, I've still written six pages of the story today (and watched those eps... Where did I find time?), so it shouldn't be a mission impossible :D Wish me luck?


	7. Future

**Disclaimer:** I don't own DGM.

**Summary:** Even in the future, there are some things that cannot be changed... Even if you can try your hardest. Sometimes, it might even work... And Allen sure was going to try his hardest... Both of the Allens. Surprise, locates in future. For Yullen Week.

**Pairing:** KandaAllen.

**Warnings:** Mentions of sex and... Strangeness.

**

* * *

**

**Future**

* * *

I didn't even realize when it all started.

* * *

Kanda sighed as he heard his self-proclaimed best friend continued to gossip about whatever happened to him that day already, over and over the same subjects and some new; how that girl in his work place, Fou, continued to abuse her boyfriend, Bak Chan, every possible moment; how the girls giggles as he walked past them; how they swooned over him... You get the deal. The dark-haired man grimaced as the other speaker only talked, talked, talked and talked more.

Why could no one get Lavi to shut up even for a moment?!

…And why the hell had he given the redhead his number? Oh yeah, he hadn't. The man had dug it up from someone, who had gotten it from someone and who had gotten it from… Someone. Whatever. …And that someone got it from someone… Ah, _whatever_!

Who cares, anyway?! Who even thinks of these things?

Wait, Kanda himself did… Argh, stupid Lavi! Everything was his fault, Kanda _knew_ it!

"…And then I said to that babe: 'Sorry, you just aren't my type' and she started crying! Can you believe it?! She clung to me like in all those romantic novels that that 'Lenalee Lee' writes! Where, by the way, the usual main character sounds a bit like me… I mean, hot, passionate redhead with emerald green eyes? Oh god, what if I have a stalker!? That would be…" And what it would be, Kanda would never know, since he zoned the rest out. God, Lavi could be so frustrating sometimes…

The man stared out of his window, looking at the views as he flew over their city in his batmobile. Some other people were flying around too, but not so many… It was Thursday afternoon and not so many had gotten off from their work yet. Even the children were at their homes, getting taught by the same teachers that had taught Kanda through their computers.

Ancient people… When the humankind had developed their science and technology, they had nearly destroyed their world… Be it the climate change, inequality or just plainly being there. And nowadays people could live over their times, because during the times scientists had developed medicines that could lengthen their lives and robots to do all of the most ponderous work…

It wasn't a surprise that Kanda's favorite subject during his school times had been history. He practically lived in it; the times, when the human still hadn't destroyed their world like they had later, were his favorite… Classical antiquity, the Middle Ages, Renaissance … Everything. Even his work was based in history; he was a professor of a sort, much respected one too. That was how he had met Lavi too; the only thing the two had in common was their interest in past times.

"…By the way, I met this really cute girl an hour ago! She was so into me, I tell you! Her eyes wouldn't leave me for a moment! She was practically undressing me in the auditorium, in front of all those people with her eyes! Ah, ah, ah, such a naughty girl…" Kanda sighed again. Apparently that trap hadn't closed yet.

"I thought you were into guys?" the man then asked, hoping that his 'friend' would shut up at his suggestion of him being gay. It didn't, unfortunately

"Ah, you noticed! Well, in that case I can tell you that I'm bi! You know, I like both genders equally? Now that you know, you don't have anything against gays? Goodies! Then I can tell you about that REALLY hot guy I met, even hotter than those girls…"

Kanda dropped his head.

Not any more!

Suddenly, Kanda felt a small pull on his flying vehicle. Raising his head again, he looked around, but saw nothing extraordinary. He felt the pull again and whipped his head around. Nothing again… Strange…

"Kanda? Something matter? You're being awfully quiet." Lavi's voice reached Kanda's ears, but he ignored it. Quickly, he typed a familiar number series to his batmobile's main computer and took his small phone to his hand.

"Tell you later." he said shortly, before hanging Lavi up. He turned back to the computer, while driving away from the other flyers, parking in the air near a very high building as they used to be nowadays. It was strange, how the buildings had changed their shapes when the time had passed too. In the past, most houses were very near the ground, only a few were higher than fifty meters. Now, they were very narrow on their corpus and wide on the top; but it didn't matter since the buildings were made from a very light, but strong material; far better than the concrete people used to use.

Typing a few more numbers and clicking the screen, a few noticed came up. Most of them Kanda ignored, knowing of the things already, but one note brought his attention completely; it was flashing red. Knowing the meaning of danger, he clicked it and his eyes widened in shock…

And then he fell.

…And he fell fast.

* * *

I think I'm losing something.

* * *

"…Mister?! Can you hear me?!"

"Hello?!"

"Mister…? No, don't close your eyes again! Hey, mister?!"

"Wake up!"

"Mister!"

"Are you hurt!?"

_"Kanda!"_

* * *

Or not something… Everything.

* * *

_Kanda sat up, sweat dripping from his forehead. What happened…? He noticed that he was lying on a bed… Had it all been a dream then…? The dark-haired man looked around, blinking. The room was dark… Well, dark-colored curtains were hiding the window and there were no lights, so of course it was dark…_

_The man wiped of his sweat, noting that he was in strange clothes… Or wearing a strange shirt, the pants were his. But the shirt was big, too big for him and loose to wear. Probably whoever owned the house had changed him… But why…? What had even happened? Kanda wondered and winced as he felt strange pain from his chest and throbbing on his head. Reaching to touch, he felt bandages around his head, but nothing on his chest, even if it hurt even more. Now he was starting to really get curious…_

_What had just happened…?_

_Also… He felt like he had slept for a very long time…_

_**"Ah, you've woken up?"**__ Kanda blinked and painfully closed his eyes as suddenly brightness filled the room. Someone had just flashed the lights on…! __**"That's good then. How do you feel?"**__ the voice asked and Kanda cracked his eyes open slightly. What he saw… was more brightness._

_The person before him had platinum blond hair and as gray eyes as cloudy sky. He wasn't tall, per se… But not short either. The boy… he looked at him with a smile, but his eyes were worried._

_"Che…" Kanda snorted as he blinked again; this time most of the brightness disappeared and he could actually see. The room had pale green walls… And a green carpet… And those dark curtains were dark green. Even the chair that was located in the room was green. The only thing that wasn't full of that color was the closets; they were grey._

_**"I take that as 'yes'… But really, you had me worried! You just suddenly collapsed before the house! Talk about a shock!" **__the boy shook his head. __**"Are you hungry? I was just making myself some food, so I could make to portions at the same time…"**_

_"…Just be quiet for a moment…" the other man muttered. His head was starting to hurt and the boy's voice didn't help at all. The blond rolled his eyes._

_**"What a rude person you're,"**__ he stated. __**"When you're ready to get some food, just come down the stairs and turn left, as you should remember. I'll be in the kitchen."**__ The boy then proceeded to exit the room, leaving Kanda alone. The man glared at the door and stood up almost immediately, but fell down again like he had just been hit._

_Alright, maybe those fast movements weren't a very good idea…_

_This time, Kanda stood up far slower than a moment ago and smirked as the pain didn't come back. He walked slowly to the door and opened it… And almost fell down the stairs._

_Who the hell builds room just before the stairs?! Or rather, three rooms?! Kanda added inwardly as he noted two other doors right beside the first one. Rolling his eyes, he took a grip from a railing beside the steep staircase and cursed some more. Besides, who even builds stairs nowadays?!_

_After a minute, Kanda finally got down from the last step and turned left just like the boy had advised. The house… It wasn't like the ones Kanda had been. It was like one of those buildings in the past, where whole families lived and raised their kids together. Just like them… Kanda arrived at the kitchen and looked around. It wasn't that big, but it had everything they needed… Wait, was that an ancient dishwasher?! And… oven?! And a fridge!_

_Had he dropped back to the 21__st__ century?!_

_**"So you're fine enough to walk?"**__ Kanda heard the boy's voice and turned to look at the other side of the room. There he was, holding something that looked like a normal pan, but… It was teflon? Kanda had only seen that kind of pan at a museum and now here was someone using one…_

_The boy was smiling…_

_…And waiting for an answer, Kanda realized._

_"Ah, yes." The smile widened._

_"__**Good! Now, would some stew be fine with you?"**__ the boy motioned towards the pan and then to the table, where he had already placed a set of two plates and two glasses and all needed utensils… There was even some bread. Kanda gulped as he felt his stomach growl._

_When had he even eaten last time…?_

_It seemed that the boy had heard his stomach, since he laughed. __**"Good appetite is cook's best friend! Now Kanda, come to take some! I'm sure you'll feel much stronger afterwards!"**__ Kanda couldn't say anything to that, so he only nodded and walked next to the boy, nodding his thanks and sitting down. The boy was only grinning as he gave a plate full of stew back to the older male._

_Kanda didn't even realize, when he had eaten since the next time he could recall was when the boy took away his plate… The only thing that made him even realize, what had happened, was his full stomach._

_"T- Thank you, Allen." Those words felt weird in his mouth, the name no less. How did he even know that name…?_

_**"You're welcome, Kanda."**_

_…And how did the boy know his name?_

* * *

It's dark…

* * *

"We have to get him away from here."

"No! You can't take him away from me!"

"Leave it, boy! He'll die if we don't move now!"

"No! You'll only kill him! He'll never look at me again! He'll… He'll never tell me if he…! He'll be gone! He… He… HE…!"

"Take the boy, he's in shock. Help him, while I'll take this other one back."

"Sure!"

"No! Give him back! Give him back to me! BACK TO ME!"

"Okay, on three then? One, two… Three!"

"KANDA!"

* * *

…Like in a dream, where you can see everything and nothing.

* * *

_The dark-haired man shook his head. That headache was coming back with full power. Allen stared at him, question almost visible in his eyes._

_**"Does it hurt?"**__ he asked, placing his cool hand over Kanda's warm forehead. The effect came almost immediately; the pain just disappeared._

_"Not anymore… Your hand…"_

_**"Ah! My magic touch, huh? Works fine with both cars and sick people, right? Haha!"**__ the boy grinned and offered Kanda his hand. "But you're still not feeling well… Let me help you to the living room, you can rest there better than here in the kitchen." The dark-haired man nodded, but swatted Allen's hand away._

_"I don't need help…" he muttered, while standing up. Allen huffed and forcefully took a grip on the other man, so he could help._

_**"And here I was just trying to be nice towards you, BaKanda."**_

_"Che, bean sprout… Leave it alone."_

_**"I'm not a bean!"**_

_"You're shorter than I am; hence, you're a bean sprout." Kanda had no idea, where this... wanting to tease the kid had come, but it was too strong to resist. It was like a routine; they were almost impossible to get rid of._

_**"You're impossible!"**_

_"And you're a bean."_

_**"You pervert!"**_

_"Bean."_

_**"Idiot!"**_

_"Bean."_

_**"Twat!"**_

_"Bean."_

_**"Octopus!"**_

_"Bean."_

_**"Can't you say anything else?!"**_

_"Anything else."_

_**"ARGH!"**__ Allen dropped Kanda on the couch not very caringly and pouted. __**"I hate you!"**_

_"I hate you too."_

_**"…You were supposed to say you love me too."**_

_"I was?"_

_**"Hmm-mm…"**_

_"Since when?"_

_**"You always do!"**_

_"I didn't now."_

_**"Did you perhaps hurt your head even more, when you collapsed?"**__ Allen asked, frustrated expression on his face. Kanda looked thoughtful._

_"I collapsed?"_

_**"Yeah!"**__ the boy nodded vigorously. __**"We were heading out for dinner and suddenly you just collapsed! I went into a panic and almost called an ambulance, but then I couldn't and now… You seem fine."**_

_"Ah…"_

_**"…What?"**_

_"…I don't remember anything like that."_

_**"You don't?"**__ Kanda nodded. __**"Well, that's not a big deal. I called Komui and he told me, that it's normal that you might not recall everything right away, when you collapse suddenly. He still asked you to come over, when you've gotten better enough."**_

_"…Who is he again?"_

_**"Kanda! Don't you even remember my father?!"**_

* * *

You can see everything you may lose, if you stay in that dream longer…

* * *

"His condition is now still, he's not in mortal danger, doctor."

"I trust that he's recovering?"

"Not exactly…"

"What do you mean, by that?"

"Well… It's like this…"

* * *

…And everything you can gain, if you stay.

* * *

_"O- Of course I remember!" Kanda said. "I just… Wanted to know if you did…" Allen snorted._

_**"BaKanda. Like I wouldn't remember my own father…"**_

_"Who knows what goes on a bean's mind? You may have a memory of a goldfish! They've said to have a five second's memory… But since you're a bean, I guess you have a different one… Much worse."_

_**"For the last time, I'm not a bean! And I have a good memory, thank you very much!"**_

_"…"_

_**"…"**_

_"…Who was my father again?"_

_**"Kanda!"**_

* * *

I can hear them crying… All of them…

* * *

"No… You can't be serious!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kanda, but that is the case… Your husband…"

"No… No, no, no! You can't be… This cannot be happening! You're lying! You have to be lying!"

"Allen… Please…"

"No… No, no, NO!"

"Allen! Calm down!"

"NO!"

* * *

…Even my husband, who I married right after I kidnapped him from his psycho father and even crazier sister, who had an unhealthy obsession with me.

* * *

_**"Well, Kanda… What do you want to do now? Watch a movie, perhaps? We haven't watched one in a loooooong time!"**_

_"A movie… Hopefully not a sappy one… You always start to cry, when we watch them."_

_**"Ugh… If you start to forget things, then why can't you do it well?"**__ Allen asked with his face flushed with embarrassment. Kanda smirked._

_"Because a man has to know, what his property is thinking."_

_**"…Property? Is that how you think of me?!"**_

_"Aren't you?"_

_**"Love is supposed to be consensual and not… Owning!"**__ Kanda gathered Allen into his arms and his smirk widened as the boy tried to squirm away. He kissed the nape of Allen's neck, that very sensitive spot, and he was rewarded well by a small gasp of surprise._

_"…Do you REALLY think that way?" he whispered darkly and Allen's blush deepened._

_**"Pervert!"**_

* * *

We were happy, that I know…

* * *

"He hasn't left that room ever since that happened…"

"Poor Allen… He looks so… Dead."

"His light was taken; surely you know that, Lavi."

"I know… Can't you do anything as his father, Komui? Or can't Lenalee?"

"Lenalee… She's abroad and doesn't know a thing… And about Allen…"

"…Yes?"

"…I've done everything I can."

* * *

…But then something happened and I ended up here.

* * *

_Kanda watched as they still stayed in that old house, ancient house, and how his lover panted underneath him. This was where he wanted to be… This was the place he belonged…_

_The place he longed to be._

_**"K- Kanda… Please…"**_

_"…What, please? Beg! Beg, if you want this…" and he rubbed that 'oh so sensitive' spot again, making the younger man squirming again._

_**"Kanda!"**_

_"…What did I just say?" another rub and the other one could only scream._

_**"KANDA!"**_

* * *

He misses me, I can hear it…

* * *

"Kanda… Please…" Allen begged as he cried beside his husband's bed. "Please…"

"Come back to me…"

* * *

…But I can't move.

* * *

_**"This is too good to be fantastic…"**__ Allen muttered as they lied on the couch, both of them wet from their sweat and the whitish liquid. Kanda nodded, before smirking. He rolled, so that their position had been reversed; Allen was lying under him again._

_"Ready for a second round?"_

_**"NOT AGAIN!"**_

* * *

I can't end this dream.

* * *

"Kanda… You promised to stay with me forever…" Allen whispered, his hand touching Kanda's as he softly caressed it. "You promised me…"

* * *

I promised him, I remember… I want to scream, just to tell him that I remember… But I can't.

* * *

_**"Hey, Kanda… Do you think we could be here forever?"**__ Allen asked from the man, cuddling next to him. "At this house… It's just like the one you always wanted, right?"_

_"It… Is." Kanda agreed hesitantly. There was something wrong with it, but it was his dream house._

_**"We have everything we want here, right?"**_

_"I guess so."_

_**"…And I'm here."**_

_"You are."_

_**"Then… Can we stay?"**_

_"I… don't know."_

_**"Kanda… Don't you love me?"**_

_The man didn't answer and the boy sighed, eyes darkening._

_It seems that he still didn't have enough strong hold on the coma patient._

* * *

I couldn't promise, since I can hear that other voice calling to me… And since I remember a promise… To…

Who did I promise again?

* * *

"Mr. Kanda." A doctor came next to Allen, who didn't even turn to look at him. He could only see his husband, who had been in coma since that accident… Two months ago.

"What?" he asked, frustrated expression on his face. The doctors had promised that Kanda would wake up soon… But he hadn't. It's been two months.

Two months isn't soon.

Two months… was a forever.

"I-… Um…"

"Just spit it out, Hevlaska." Allen told the doctor, who then nodded.

"How badly do you want to wake him up?" The man blinked and slowly turned to the woman.

"…What?"

"I asked you, how…"

"I heard you." the other one interrupted and smiled bitterly. "I just don't get the question. How badly do you _think_ I would want him to wake up?"

"I would say that more than anything else."

"Exactly." the man turned back to Kanda, who still continued his deep, deep sleep. Hevlaska grinned mysteriously.

"…There is another way than just waiting… But it's far more dangerous." Allen whipped around, narrowing his eyes.

"I can wake Kanda up?!"

"There is a way… But you may lose your mind and soul for that."

Allen just grinned darkly.

"What do I have to do?"

* * *

I remember a face; I remember a voice… But I can't remember the name.

Who did I promise to stay with forever?

* * *

_**"Why won't you play with me, Kanda?"**__ Allen asked with a smile on his face, his arms wrapping around the man. The dark-haired man stared out of the window, where he saw snow slowly coming down from the heavens._

_"Snow…" Allen smiled wider._

_**"We could go play in the snow then? It's fun and cold! I love snow!"**_

_But Kanda didn't answer to that, only continued trying to remember the person, who he had made that one promise._

_Allen grimaced._

_He was starting to remember… And that was a bad thing._

* * *

That person… He was warm… And beautiful…

* * *

"You know that you might lose yourself in this attempt?"

"I don't care."

"You might…"

"I don't care! Now start the fucking machine so I can try to bring Kanda back!" Hevlaska nodded. Suddenly, a door was pushed open and Leverrier, another doctor, looked at the scene with terrified expression.

"Hev?! What are you doing?! You can't…!"

"Do it Hev!" Allen yelled and the woman pulled the trigger down before Leverrier could stop her. The lights went off for a moment and when they came back… With them came the lightning.

And then… Allen screamed.

* * *

That person… He was my everything and nothing.

* * *

_Kanda and Allen whipped their heads around, when they heard a thump from behind. They were looking at an identical person to Allen, who only had different clothing and… Was that a hole in his heart? A hole and… A chain._

_"Kanda…" Allen whispered in happiness and took a step forward towards the man, but the other Allen stepped before him._

_**"Stay back!"**__ he ordered. __**"He's mine!"**_

_"No, he isn't!" Allen argued against himself, but clearly confused at the scenery. Hadn't Hevlaska said that there was no one else in a coma patient's dream, but themselves?_

_**"He is! Step back or I'll have to hurt you!"**__ the other Allen growled, but Allen shook his head._

_"No." he just stated and looked at his husband. Kanda was looking at the two like he was seeing two of his lovers… Which he, in a way, was seeing. The Allen nearer him was growling in anger, while the one further away was smiling in serene, like he had just found something important to him again._

_"Hello, Kanda…" he whispered and Kanda's heart started to jump faster; something that hadn't happened with the other Allen at all. "How are you feeling?"_

_"I…"_

_**"He's fine."**__ The other Allen interrupted before starting to glare daggers at his image again. __**"Leave us here and go back to your world! Now!"**__ Allen shook his head._

_"No. I will not go anywhere if Kanda doesn't go with me."_

_**"He'll stay here!"**_

_"He comes with me."_

_**"No!"**_

_"What's…?" Kanda started and both Allens turned to look at him. "What's going on here?"_

_**"Nothing, love…"**__ the closer Allen said. __**"Just some pests coming to visit."**_

_"A pest I am now? Then you must be one too, since we are identical." Allen's smile had never disappeared from his face and for some reason, Kanda's heart sang. "Kanda… No, Yu…"_

_"…Yes?" he was calling him by his first name? Allen opened his arms as if he wanted to hug the man._

_"Can you… Come here?" he asked, unsurely. The other Allen stared at his image pure hate in his eyes, but Kanda only nodded. He was just about to past the other platinum blond, when he was grabbed by his arm._

_**"No. He'll stay here with me, forever. Leave!"**__ Suddenly, Kanda noticed, that the smile Allen in front of him had worn, disappeared._

_"You aren't real. Kanda is… He doesn't belong to this dream world." The other Allen seethed._

_**"You are the one, who isn't real! Kanda, don't believe him!"**_

_"Yu…" Allen's smile was back as he watched his lover. "You're in a coma. You've been for two months… And finally, I've come to get you back."_

_**"He isn't going anywhere!"**_

_"You are missed, love… Lavi, your best friend, misses you… Lenalee, my sister, misses you… Komui, my father, misses you… And I…"_

_**"No!"**_

_"…your husband, miss you…"_

_And Kanda's world… Cracked._

* * *

I feel the memories… Locked memories… Coming back to me. I see my real house, my batmobile…

I see the accident.

I see how those doctors try their hardest to save my life. They're sweating hard, they're trying… They manage.

But I'm in a coma.

I can see how people come to visit me… Everyone has tears in their eyes, every single one except a platinum blond, who continues to sit by me every moment.

It looks like he suffers too much to be crying.

These are only a few things that I can see…

…And what I remember.

* * *

_"Allen…" Kanda whispered and the real Allen smiled, still holding his arms open. Suddenly, the Allen, who was holding Kanda back, lost his grip on him, even if he tried to take better grip on the dark-haired man… He can't._

_He went right through him._

_**"No…"**__ he whispered. __**"No… You can't…"**_

_"Kanda…" Allen called his husband as the man walked towards him and wrapped his arms around the man as their bodies collided. "Oh Yu… How I'm missed you…"_

_"Allen…"_

_"I love you…" the man hiccupped as he felt tears coming out of his eyes. This was Kanda… His love… His life, his light. His all…_

_He was there, in his arms…_

_Allen could've died from happiness right then and there._

_"I love you…" he whispered again. The other Allen, who still couldn't touch either of them, was almost petrified from something._

_**"No… Don't say it… DON'T SAY IT!"**__ he screamed. __**"You can't love him! You love me! Don't leave me, Kanda! Don't go with that image of me! I'm the real one! I'm the one you love! I'm…!"**_

_"I love you too, Allen…" Kanda whispered, never even hearing the other Allen's voice. The boy's eyes widened and he stood still._

_**"No… He said it…"**__ his voice was filled with fear. __**"No… NO! You can't leave me! Kanda! Don't wake up! Don't leave this world! I created it for you, for you only! I love you! Don't… DON'T YOU DARE GO!**_

_**"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"**_

_But it wasn't any use and that Allen had already started to become transparent… No, he was transparent and slowly… He was starting to disappear. The real Allen watched his image disappearing slowly, yelling curses at him and begging Kanda to notice him… But without avail._

_And then… The other Allen disappeared…_

_And so did the world._

* * *

I was floating in that nothingness again… But this time, I wasn't alone.

* * *

_"Kanda…" Allen whispered into his husband's ear and smiled as he released the other one from his hug. The man stared at him with his dark eyes and Allen's heart skipped faster. "You really are here…"_

_"…What really happened, Al?" Kanda asked._

_"Well… You got into some kind of an accident… Some random guy collided with your batmobile and you fell down. You were seriously hurt and even after the doctors did their best, you… Fell into coma."_

_"…I'm in a coma now?"_

_"Shortly said, yes."_

_"Then why… Why are you here?" Allen smiled._

_"I couldn't leave you to die. The doctors had already given up; all but one… She told me of the way to get you back and…"_

_"And…?"_

_"It was a forbidden way. I could've died… Not because of the machine, but because of invading the mind of a coma patient isn't the safest."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yes… No one before has made it out alive. I suspect that their loved ones had already… Given in for the coma. You saw the other me… I suspect it was an image of me that was supposed to get you stay there forever."_

_"Why you?" Kanda asked, but he knew the answer already._

_It was because Allen was his most important person._

_"Or don't answer that… Why do you have that hole and the chain?" Allen blinked and looked down. He smiled sheepishly._

_"I don't know… Perhaps to remind me of not belonging in here? But come… Come and I'll take you home…" Allen swam a bit further into the nothingness and turned around. Suddenly, it wasn't only nothingness that was there; there were also light._

_"Come… Come back to me, Yu…"_

_Kanda hesitated._

_"Let me take care of you… Until we both die together." Allen begged and hold his hand for his lover._

_The dark-haired man made his decision._

_He took the hand._

* * *

And then I was thrown into a vortex of black and white.

* * *

Kanda woke up again, feeling like he had rested for a damn long time. He didn't have much time to blink and getting used to the sudden brightness before something jumped on him… He also felt soft lips taking his for a light kiss…

It didn't feel so uncomfortable.

"You're awake, Kanda…" Allen whispered, tears in his eyes.

The tears of happiness.

Kanda smiled and wiped the tears from his lover's eyes, kissing softly those pink lips.

"I'm back…"

They stayed like that for a long time, Allen crying over the fact that Kanda was alright and Kanda wiping off those wet drops and whispering words of comfort for the man.

Suddenly, their peace was interrupted rather loudly.

"Hey, Al! I brought you some chocolate and flowers for Kanda! After all, it's Chris… Whoa, whoa, whoa! Am I seeing what I think I am?!" an amazed voice of a certain redhead echoed around the hospital room and Kanda growled indignantly. How dare the stupid rabbit come and interrupt their alone time?!

"Lavi…" Allen smiled through his tears. "Would you be so kind and go tell Hevlaska and Leverrier that Yu has awoken?" Lavi blinked a couple of times and then grinned widely. A tear of relief fell down his cheek too, but he wiped it off quickly and nodded.

"Sure thing, Al! And Yu…" the redhead sniffed. "…Nice to see you again…" Then Lavi escaped to tell the doctors of the miracle and probably calling Komui and Lenalee and every other person, who had sometimes heard the 'Kanda' name.

"…What was the rabbit even trying to say… Something about 'Chris'…?" the platinum blond chuckled.

"Christmas, Yu… It's Christmas Eve today." Allen smiled.

"Merry Christmas, love... And welcome back." Kanda gave a small smile back, a miracle in itself. It felt so _foreign_ to be there again...

"Merry Christmas… And I'm home."

* * *

I was home.

* * *

This is the last one shot for Yullen Week from me :D I've finished it and am so damn proud of myself!

All you, who reviewed last chapter... I'm sorry if I haven't answered you. I try to answer them all tomorrow, but today... I just couldn't do it. Right from the moment I woke up, I felt sick... And believe me, I got _really_ sick later. I just lied on my bed and... Cried. I couldn't do anything else but cry. And I cried four fucking times... I don't even remember when I cried that much before. It has to be _years_.

Yeah, so... My Christmas started "well". I don't even remember how long I suffered before I finally fell asleep (I got two fucking painkillers and some other medicine... I was completely on some kind of stupor). Now, I only have the energy to post this and... I guess I'll go back to rest. I opened my presents a moment ago... And... All I can say is that they varied... A lot. I can almost say I got everything from between a laptop (I finally got one! Even though I didn't want it... My friends seem to have too much troubles with them) to rubberduck (I got it from my best friend. I love it!). I guess my fam spoils me...

Anyway... Forget about me and enjoy your Christmas :D

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE (and happy birthday Allen)!!!!!!! AND THANK YOU ALL, WHO REVIEWED, FAVORITED AND ALERTED THIS! AND PUT ON C2S!!!!!!!!

Chiyon Shi.


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